Danone on Thursday expanded its recalls of infant formula in France and several European countries including Poland, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Romania and Switzerland, according to the food giant and national health authorities.
Several hundred batches are affected, including more than 120 in Austria and Germany (Aptamil and Milumil), and almost as many (119) in France where 19 references of Gallia and Blédilait milks are cited by the official Rappel Conso website.
These recalls follow the update on Monday by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) of its recommendations concerning the tolerated threshold of cereulide in preparations, a toxin that can cause diarrhea and vomiting.
Cereulide, produced by certain bacteria, has been detected in an oil rich in arachidonic acid produced by the Chinese industrialist Cabio Biotech, a supplier to several giants of the agri-food industry.
"We should expect further recalls" with the new threshold set by EFSA, stressed the French Directorate General for Food (DGAL), dismissing the risk of shortages because the withdrawals remain "modest compared to the volumes" produced.
– No direct link established –
Nestlé's recall of dozens of batches of infant formula from different brands in more than 60 countries since mid-December has triggered a cascade of similar recalls worldwide by manufacturers like Danone or Lactalis, but also by smaller players in this rapidly growing market.
The size of the recalled batches can vary from one manufacturer to another or depending on the orders they receive. The major food companies are not disclosing the number of affected boxes, some of which were sold as early as spring 2025 in supermarkets, pharmacies, online, or used in some hospitals and daycare centers.
Criminal investigations have been opened in Bordeaux and Angers following the deaths of two infants who consumed recalled Nestlé milk, but at this stage they have not established a direct link.
Five other infants have so far been hospitalized in France after consuming infant milks affected by the recalls, and have all since been released from the hospital, with health authorities reiterating that no direct link has been established at this stage with this toxin.
– Complaint filed in Paris –
Danone, for its part, has carried out several successive recalls since mid-January. The first batches were blocked by the Singaporean authorities on January 17, which led to an unprecedented drop in the French group's share price on the Paris Stock Exchange.
On January 23, the French group announced it was expanding its recalls, mentioning withdrawals "in certain targeted markets, of a very limited number of specific batches." It did not specify the list of countries concerned, indicating that two batches were being recalled in France.
Two additional batches were recalled to Singapore on Friday, according to local authorities.
"We want to reassure all parents," the group said on Thursday. "Our infant formulas are safe. All of our brands' baby formulas are produced according to strict food safety standards and undergo rigorous testing before leaving our factories," it assured.
The consumer advocacy group Foodwatch has filed a complaint with the Paris prosecutor's office alongside eight families, accusing infant formula manufacturers of delaying the recall of their suspect batches, with a delay of more than a month between the first detection of toxin and the expansion of the recalls.
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