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 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.
Batch sizes can vary from one manufacturer to another or depending on the orders they receive. The major food companies are not disclosing the number of boxes affected by the recalls.
Nestlé's recall of dozens of batches of infant formula from different brands in some sixty 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.
Danone 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.
"We want to reassure all parents: our infant formulas are safe. All our brands' baby formulas are produced according to strict food safety standards and undergo rigorous checks before leaving our factories," the group said on Thursday.
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