Nestlé expands recall of infant formula in Europe

Nestlé Group (Switzerland) on January 4 added batches of milk brands Guigoz in France and SMA in the UK to the recall list, according to Reuters. The affected product in France is Guigoz Optipro Relais 1, lot 53470346AA, and in the UK it is SMA First Infant Milk type 800 grams, lot 53390346AB, expiry date December 2027. Additional batches recalled in the UK are distributed in the Northern Ireland market.

The latest move took place right after French and European authorities agreed to apply a new analysis method, lowering the safety limit for cereulide toxins in early February. According to the decision that took effect after the EU’s January 28 meeting, the new limit was reduced to 0.014 micrograms of cereulide per kilogram of body weight, instead of 0.03 micrograms as before.

Toxicology experts say that reducing the limit by more than half means that authorities consider this toxin much more dangerous than the old assessment. The EU wants to establish a thicker “safety buffer zone” to protect the most sensitive group, infants. This regulation sets safety standards to the level of “maximum caution”, proactively preventing risks instead of waiting for incidents to occur. For dairy companies like Nestlé, this is a big challenge in controlling input materials, forcing them to “filter” twice as carefully as before.

Nestlé affirmed that this recall expansion complies with the above spirit of caution, although the company previously predicted that there would be no need for any additional product withdrawals after the crisis resolutions in December 2025 and last January. The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has also issued a warning to parents about the latest list of affected products.

The milk recall crisis began in late December 2025, stemming from the discovery of cereulide toxins in raw materials at a supply factory in China. This unit provides raw materials for many “big players” in the dairy industry such as Nestlé, Danone and Lactalis. Cereulide is an agent that causes nausea and vomiting and the presence of this substance has caused many countries to order product recalls, including the Vietnamese market in January.

Although Nestlé says there are no specific legal regulations setting a ceiling for cereulide in formula milk, pressure from regulators is increasing. Last week, the FSA confirmed to Sky News that the investigation found the toxin in batches of Nestlé’s SMA milk and one batch of Danone’s Aptamil.

The situation becomes more tense as French investigators are verifying the link between the recalled products and the deaths of two infants. Consumer protection organization Foodwatch has filed a criminal complaint in Paris on behalf of eight families with sick children, accusing manufacturers of being slow to warn the public of the risk of contamination.