Danone recalls more batches of baby formula over toxin poisoning fears

Danone has recalled several batches of Aptamil and Cow & Gate baby food due to the possible presence of a toxin linked to poisoning in children, the Food Standards Agency said.

Low levels of the heat-stable toxin cerulide, which can cause symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, were detected in some specific batches of formula milk.

The food and drink giant said it had replaced the affected batches with new products that are now “available to purchase and safe to use”.

A spokesperson for Danone Northern Europe said: “Danone never compromises on food safety and we want to reassure all parents that we take this responsibility seriously.

“All our baby foods are produced under strict food safety and quality standards and undergo stringent checks before leaving our factories.

“We have recalled certain batches of Aptamil and Cow & Gate products in the UK in line with the Food Standards Agency’s latest guidance on cereulide.”

This comes after Danone recalled a batch of its Aptamil baby food product on January 23 over concerns it may contain cerulide.

At the time, the FSA said only one batch sold in the UK was affected, but other batches in other countries were also affected.

Nestlé also recalled more than 60 batches of its SMA formula in January.

Following the recall, which included powdered and pre-mixed formula for babies and young children, the UKHSA said it had received 24 reports in England, seven in Scotland, three in Wales, one in Northern Ireland and one notification from royal dependents who had consumed the relevant batches and developed symptoms consistent with cerulide toxin poisoning.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) confirmed on January 30 that arachidonic acid (ARA) oil, which is vital for baby development and added to formula for non-breastfed babies, was the affected ingredient.

The latest batch to be recalled is an 800g pack of SMA Advanced First Baby Milk (best before December 2027, marked 53390346AB), which the FSA confirmed was only distributed in Northern Ireland.

Other Nestlé products affected by the recall include: SMA Advanced Follow-on Milk, SMA Anti Reflux, SMA Alfamino, SMA First Baby Milk, SMA Little Steps First Baby Milk, SMA Comfort and SMA Lactose-Free.

Last week, it was revealed that the contamination that led to both recalls originated from a common third-party ingredient supplier.

The FSA has urged people who have any affected products to stop using them, switch to an alternative and contact their doctor or NHS 111 if their baby has already consumed the formula.

bacillus cereus It is a spore-forming bacterium that can contaminate various food products. The UKHSA said some strains can produce cereulide toxin when allowed to grow.

Symptoms Bacillus brain Food poisoning and cerulidine toxin poisoning most commonly involve vomiting but may also include stomach cramping and diarrhea. They usually have a rapid onset within 15 minutes to 6 hours after ingestion.

Unless there is repeated exposure to the toxin, symptoms usually resolve within 24 hours.

The UKHSA said that although ingestion of the toxin rarely caused more serious illness, “a few” cases of liver or kidney damage, muscle destruction and multiple organ failure had been reported.

People at increased risk of complications include young children and those with weakened immune systems.

The FSA said it was continuing to investigate the source of the pollution.

This is breaking news, more to come…