French dairy giant Lactalis has announced the recall of multiple batches of infant formula in France and at least 17 other countries, following the detection of cereulide.
Cereulide is a toxin linked to nausea, vomiting and gastrointestinal illness.
The move comes just weeks after Swiss food major Nestlé initiated one of its largest-ever infant nutrition recalls, affecting products in more than 60 countries.
French group Danone has also confirmed a smaller precautionary recall, meaning three of the world’s largest dairy companies are now impacted by the same contamination issue.
Cereulide, a toxin produced by Bacillus cereus, has been identified in an ingredient supplied by an external source.
According to industry sources and media investigations, the contamination has been traced to a single supplier of ARA (arachidonic acid) oil — a key ingredient used in premium infant formula.
Lactalis said on 21 January that cereulide was detected in an ingredient supplied to its nutrition business, Lactalis Nutrition Santé (LNS).
The company has recalled six lots of its Picot infant formula brand, which were distributed across 18 countries.
Affected products have been on sale since January 2025, with expiry dates extending to March 2027.
"Upon receiving this alert and in parallel with the analyses requested from the supplier of the ingredient concerned, LNS immediately initiated testing through an accredited independent laboratory to assess the potentially affected products," Lactalis has said in a statement.
The company added that no complaints or adverse events linked to the recalled products have been reported to French authorities to date, but acknowledged the potential concern for parents and caregivers.
Danone has so far recalled a single batch of infant formula produced in Thailand at the request of Singapore’s Food Agency before the product reached consumers.
A Danone spokesperson said the products were blocked as a precaution and that internal controls confirmed compliance with food safety and Good Manufacturing Practices.
Nestlé was the first to announce a global recall, initially detecting contamination at a manufacturing site in the Netherlands.
The recall has since expanded to include major infant nutrition brands such as SMA, Beba, Guigoz and Alfamino.
While Nestlé has stated that no illnesses have been confirmed, the company is facing growing scrutiny.
Consumer protection groups have raised concerns around traceability and the timing of public warnings, while French authorities have opened two criminal investigations into the deaths of infants who had consumed recalled products.
No causal link has been established as of the time of writing.
The unfolding situation highlights mounting regulatory and reputational risks for the global infant nutrition sector, as authorities and manufacturers work to strengthen supply chain oversight and ingredient traceability.