By Alexander Marrow and Oliver Hirt, Reuters
Nestle says no illnesses have been confirmed in connection with the recalled products. Photo: ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN
Nestlé said it was recalling some batches of its infant nutrition products, including SMA, BEBA and NAN formulas, mostly in Europe, due to possible contamination with a toxin that can cause nausea and vomiting.
The recall, which began on a smaller scale in December, adds pressure on new Chief Executive Philipp Navratil, who is seeking to revive growth through a portfolio review after a period of management upheaval.
Nestlé, which makes products ranging from KitKat to Nescafe, said late on Monday (US Time) that no illnesses had been confirmed in connection with the recalled products.
After a quality issue was detected in an ingredient from a leading supplier, Nestlé undertook "testing of all arachidonic acid oil and corresponding oil mixes used in the production of its potentially impacted infant nutrition products," a Nestlé spokesperson said.
With testing complete, Nestlé has recalled affected products and is activating alternative suppliers of arachidonic acid oil, ramping up production at several factories and accelerating the release of unaffected products from distribution centres to maintain supply.
Food poisoning symptoms can quickly develop
Problems with baby formula can be damaging for companies. Reckitt is exploring options, including a sale, for its Mead Johnson business, which faces hundreds of lawsuits in the US over claims - which it denies - that its infant formula can cause a fatal intestinal illness in premature babies.
Nestlé, whose shares have fallen more than 3 percent in the last two sessions, controls almost a quarter of the $92.2 billion (NZ$159.4 billion) global infant nutrition market, according to SkyQuest Technology Group. Nestle does not publish sales data, but infant formula is part of its Nutrition and Health Science division, which accounted for 16.6 percent of total sales of 91.4 billion Swiss francs (NZ$198.8 billion) in 2024.
Nestlé said the recall covered batches sold across Europe, as well as in Turkey and Argentina, due to possible contamination with cereulide, a toxin produced by some strains of Bacillus cereus.
The toxin "is unlikely to be deactivated or destroyed by cooking, using boiling water or when making the infant milk," Britain's Food Standards Agency said.
"Cereulide ... can cause food poisoning symptoms which can be quick to develop and include vomiting and stomach cramps," head of incidents at the FSA Jane Rawling said.
Largest recall in Nestle history, Austrian Ministry says
Austria's health ministry said the recall affected more than 800 products from over 10 Nestlé factories and was the largest in the company's history. A Nestlé spokesperson could not verify those figures.
Nestlé published batch numbers for products sold in various countries that should not be consumed and said it was working to minimise supply disruption.
The company said it identified the potential risk at one factory in the Netherlands. Dutch food safety authority NVWA said Nestlé's investigation showed the contaminated raw material had been used at multiple production sites, including outside the Netherlands.
- Reuters
