Editor’s Note
- Beware of baby food contaminated with cereulide toxin
- Aptamil First baby food, packaged by Danone
- Warning from the Irish Food Safety Authority
- Spreading to the Benelux
- The Kuwaiti Food and Nutrition Authority recalls several baby food products
Beware of baby food contaminated with cereulide toxin
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) recently issued a notice urging the urgent recall of Aptamil First baby food due to the detection of cereulide toxin in one batch.
According to data from the European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), the impact extends beyond the United Kingdom and has reached many other key markets due to the complexity of the global supply chain.
Aptamil First baby food, packaged by Danone
In the United Kingdom, the affected product is Aptamil First baby food from Danone, packaged in 800-gram boxes, with batch number 31/10 and a best-before date of October 31.
Health experts warn that the toxin cereulide, produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus, is highly heat-stable. This means the toxin cannot be destroyed by normal cooking or mixing the food with hot water.
If a young child accidentally ingests the toxin, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps can develop very quickly.
Following the recall in the United Kingdom, Ireland became the next country to be directly affected, due to similar storage conditions.
Warning from the Irish Food Safety Authority
The Irish Food Safety Authority immediately issued a warning regarding Nestlé’s Aptamil and SMA baby food, both of which were found to be contaminated with the same toxin.
In this market, the recall applies not only to powdered milk but also to ready-to-drink liquid milk, causing significant concern among parents.
The Danone Group has posted notices in stores urging customers to return the products for a full refund without a receipt.
Spread to the Benelux
The incident quickly spread to the Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) and Germany after an investigation revealed that the source was a batch of contaminated ARA fuel oil imported from China.
This raw material was distributed to factories in the Netherlands, the center of Danone’s dairy production, resulting in many of the country’s domestic and export products being placed on a special list.
In Belgium and Luxembourg, authorities are working closely with the manufacturer to recall all shipments with codes matching the contaminated ingredients.
Although Germany is known for its strict regulations, a small number of suspect products were identified and removed from shelves to ensure absolute safety.
Kuwait Food and Nutrition Authority Recalls Several Baby Food Products
Besides Europe, product recalls have also taken place in Kuwait. As reported by the Kuwait Times, the Kuwait Food and Nutrition Authority is recalling several baby food products from the Lactalis (Enfastar) and Danone (Aptamil) brands due to contamination risks. This was announced on Monday, January 26, 2026.
This serious incident exposes the weaknesses of the global food industry model, where major brands rely excessively on cheap ingredients from a limited number of suppliers.
When even one link in the supply chain in China experiences problems, leading companies like Danone and Nestlé face a crisis of consumer confidence.
Experts advise parents to absolutely avoid products from the affected batches for their children and to seek immediate medical advice if their children exhibit any unusual health symptoms. ***okm
