Several European milk powder companies, some of the largest global infant formula companies, are announcing product recalls due to the presence of Arachidonic Acid (ARA) oil, a component added to Chinese-produced milk powder.
French authorities are investigating the deaths of two infants who were reported to have consumed Nestlé baby formula contaminated with Cereulide toxin, believed to have originated from ARA oil produced by a biotechnology company in Hubei, China. ARA is a common additive in high-end infant formula milk.
According to reports from a health channel in Europe on Monday, the French Health Ministry stated that there is currently no evidence linking the infants’ deaths to the ARA oil.
The Flemish government in Belgium confirmed a case where a baby fell ill in January 2026 after consuming contaminated Nestlé infant formula.
A spokesperson for the local health agency, Joris Moonens, informed the health channel, “The infant experienced vomiting and watery diarrhea, but fortunately, fully recovered about 10 days later. Testing of the infant’s stool samples confirmed the presence of Cereulide toxin contamination from Nestlé formula.”
They confirmed that the batch of formula that made the baby ill falls within the recall range nationwide in Belgium.
Nestlé stated they will continue to closely monitor the situation and fully cooperate with the investigation in a transparent manner, providing any necessary information.
Cereulide toxin is a heat-resistant toxin produced by Bacillus cereus bacteria, which can grow in food. The most common symptoms in infants after consuming contaminated formula are vomiting and diarrhea within 30 minutes to 3 hours, similar to gastroenteritis.
The contamination was first discovered in early December 2025. On December 10th, Nestlé France announced the recall of infant formula produced at its Nuenen plant in the Netherlands over suspected Cereulide toxin contamination.
The French Ministry of Agriculture stated that starting from the end of December 2025, all global infant formula manufacturers using ARA oil from the Chinese supplier are required to conduct risk analysis to ensure the safety of their products.
In early January 2026, Nestlé announced the recall of batches of infant formula from 60 countries, marking one of the company’s largest recalls ever, involving various brands such as SMA, Beba, Guigoz, and Alfamino.
In January, French dairy company Lactalis contacted government authorities informing them that some batches of its formula may have used ARA from the same Chinese supplier.
After analysis, Lactlis stated that certain batches of infant formula on the market may pose risks and recalled some batches of its Picot brand infant formula sold in 18 countries.
The affected batches have been on sale since January 2025 with an expiration date of March 2027.
Danone also confirmed the recall of certain batches of formula due to potential Cereulide toxin in ARA, primarily affecting its Aptamil and related brands in Europe, the UK, and Asia.
Two other companies, Vitagermine and Hochdorf Swiss Nutrition, separately recalled some batches of infant formula in France and Switzerland.