Not only Nestlé products affected Poison in baby food comes from China

After Nestlé, the baby food manufacturers Hochdorf, Danone and Lactalis have now also withdrawn products contaminated with poison from the market. The toxin cereulide is said to have been found in the oil of a supplier from China.

According to the Tamedia newspapers, the contaminated ARA oil in Nestlé baby food was produced by the Chinese manufacturer Cabio Biotech. A spokeswoman for the Federal Food Safety Office (FSVO)I confirmed this to the newspapers. The oil had been contaminated with the toxin cereulide, which had led to recalls

Nestlé emphasized that no direct link between illnesses and the affected products had yet been proven.

The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) also has no knowledge of cases of illness in Switzerland, but illnesses caused by cereulide do not have to be reported.

Expanded to a "global crisis"

The recall started with Nestlé products of the Beba and Alfamino brands in around 70 countries. According to the report, it has now "escalated into a global crisis". Products from the Swiss manufacturer Hochdorf and the French companies Danone and Lactalis are also affected.

Unlike in Switzerland, cases of illness have already been linked to the contaminated baby food in several countries, and a death is even being investigated in France.

Tamedia quoted a retired pediatrician who said that Cereulid can cause diarrhea and vomiting, but that the poison is not usually life-threatening.

Cereulide can be caused by the bacterium Bacillus cereus. Nestlé is asking parents to stop using the products from certain batches and return them to retailers.