FactCheck: how many baby formula recall poisonings have been reported in the UK, which brands are on recall list and what’s the advice for parents?
The UK health watchdog says it’s received 36 reports of children suffering symptoms of toxin poisoning linked to baby formula. Let’s take a look.
What is the baby formula toxin and what are its symptoms?
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said both it and its partner agencies had received notifications of children “developing symptoms consistent with cereulide toxin after consuming potentially affected batches”.
There have been 24 reports to the UKHSA in England, seven in Scotland, three in Wales, one in Northern Ireland and one from the Crown Dependencies.
“Given the widespread availability of the products, this is not unexpected,” said Gauri Godbole, deputy director of gastrointestinal infections, food safety and One Health at the UKHSA.
Cereulide is a toxin produced by some strains of bacillus cereus (a bacteria found in soil, vegetation and food).
It can withstand high temperatures, which means it’s “unlikely to be deactivated or destroyed by cooking, using boiling water or when making the infant milk,” the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said.
It can lead to the rapid onset of symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.
Which baby formulas have been recalled – and why?
On 5 January, the FSA said that Nestle was recalling several batches of 12 SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula products in the UK. This recall was then updated with new product expiry dates on 9 January.
In a notice to customers, Nestle said: “The safety and wellbeing of babies is our absolute priority. As a precautionary measure, Nestle is voluntarily recalling specific batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula.”
This was due to the presence of cereulide (a toxin) in the formula.
Then, on 24 January, Danone recalled one batch of Aptamil First Infant Formula, again due to cereulide contamination.
In a customer notice, Danone said it was “recalling a single isolated batch of Aptamil Infant Formula 800g due to low levels of cereulide.”
Last week, it was confirmed that the contamination that caused both recalls came from a shared, third-party, ingredient supplier.
The full list of contaminated batches – including the batch code and best before date – can be found on the FSA’s website.
What’s the current advice on contaminated baby formula?
The FSA has said that even if your baby has not been ill after having the baby formulas on the recall list, it is still “essential” to stop using it.
However, the Agency noted that if the formula was prescribed for your baby by a health professional, then you should consult a pharmacist or other medical professional before changing this.
Ms Godbole added: “Following the Food Standards Agency’s recall of SMA infant formula, the UK Health Security Agency alerted the NHS and advised clinicians to be vigilant of symptoms consistent with cereulide toxin poisoning in children who had consumed affected batches.
“Parents and caregivers are advised to recheck and remove all recalled formula from their homes to prevent illness in their children.”
However, Ms Godbole did add that “surveillance indicators do not show unusual increases in reports of vomiting in children under the age of 1 for this time of year,” but the UKHSA will still “continue to monitor and investigate the public health implications of this recall”.
