Product recall Nestlé CEO apologizes in video for baby food recall
Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil has apologized in a video message to parents and caregivers for the uncertainty caused by the large-scale recall of baby food.
14.01.2026, 08:02
SDA
The recalls had been communicated gradually in all affected countries in accordance with official requirements and had now been completed.
The recall was triggered by a quality problem with a raw material from a supplier that was discovered at a plant in the Netherlands in December, Navratil said in the video published on Nestlé's website. The company then stopped selling the affected products and launched voluntary recalls in cooperation with the authorities in several European countries. These were extended to all affected markets at the beginning of January.
Navratil confirmed that there have been no confirmed cases of illness in connection with the products to date. The head of the food giant also emphasized that product safety has top priority.
Nestlé had recalled batches of infant formula in around 60 countries as a precautionary measure in what became known last week as the largest recall in the company's history. They could be contaminated with poison. The well-known Beba brand and special products such as Alfamino are affected. Parents have been asked to stop using the products from certain batches and to return them to the shops.
According to the authorities, the cause was a technical cleaning defect in a supplier plant, which led to the contamination of an oil used as an ingredient. The heat-resistant toxic substance cereulide could cause nausea and vomiting.
The Group stated that the batches of infant formula affected by the recall accounted for significantly less than 0.5 percent of the Group's annual sales. The financial impact on the Group is "not expected to be significant". Analysts said that product and brand safety could lead to a loss of sales, which could benefit competitors such as Danone.
