Baby Formula Recall in the UK: Reported Poisonings, Affected Brands, and Advice for Parents

In a growing health concern across the United Kingdom, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported 36 cases of children showing symptoms consistent with cereulide toxin poisoning linked to contaminated baby formula products.

The cases are geographically widespread, with 24 reports in England, seven in Scotland, three in Wales, one in Northern Ireland, and one from the Crown Dependencies. Dr. Gauri Godbole, deputy director of gastrointestinal infections, food safety and One Health at the UKHSA, noted that given the widespread availability of the affected products, this distribution of cases “is not unexpected.”

Cereulide, the toxin at the center of these recalls, is produced by certain strains of bacillus cereus, a bacteria commonly found in soil, vegetation, and food. What makes cereulide particularly concerning is its resistance to heat. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the toxin can withstand high temperatures, meaning it “is unlikely to be deactivated or destroyed by cooking, using boiling water or when making the infant milk.”

Affected children typically experience rapid onset of symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps after consuming contaminated formula.

The issue first came to light on January 5, when the FSA announced that Nestlé was recalling several batches of 12 SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula products across the UK. The recall was later expanded on January 9 to include additional product expiry dates. Nestlé stated in its notice to customers that “the safety and wellbeing of babies is our absolute priority,” describing the recall as a “precautionary measure.”

The situation escalated further on January 24 when Danone, another major player in the infant nutrition market, recalled one batch of its popular Aptamil First Infant Formula due to cereulide contamination. In its customer notice, Danone specified it was “recalling a single isolated batch of Aptamil Infant Formula 800g due to low levels of cereulide.”

Last week, investigators determined that both recalls stemmed from a shared, third-party ingredient supplier, suggesting a common source of contamination in the supply chain. This finding raises questions about quality control measures in the infant formula industry and may prompt closer scrutiny of manufacturing processes.

The FSA has emphasized that parents should stop using any recalled formula immediately, even if their baby has not shown signs of illness. However, the agency cautioned that if the formula was prescribed by a health professional, parents should consult a pharmacist or other medical professional before making any changes.

“Parents and caregivers are advised to recheck and remove all recalled formula from their homes to prevent illness in their children,” Dr. Godbole stressed. She added that current “surveillance indicators do not show unusual increases in reports of vomiting in children under the age of 1 for this time of year,” but confirmed that the UKHSA will “continue to monitor and investigate the public health implications of this recall.”

The full list of affected products, including specific batch codes and best-before dates, is available on the FSA’s website. Consumers are urged to check any formula products they have at home against this list.

This recall comes at a challenging time for the infant formula industry, which has faced increased scrutiny in recent years following other high-profile contamination issues and supply chain disruptions globally. For parents of formula-fed infants in the UK, these recalls represent yet another worry in the already stressful early months of childcare.

Health authorities continue to emphasize that prompt reporting of any symptoms following formula consumption is essential, as is disposing of or returning any affected products according to the manufacturers’ instructions.