Nestlé has recalled several batches of infant formula and products for special medical purposes in Norway and other European countries, following the detection of the Bacillus cereus. Parents of infants who have received these products should contact their GP or emergency room if their child experiences vomiting, abdominal pain or diarrhoea within the first 24 hours after consumption. Children who do not have symptoms do not need to be followed up by a doctor. Bottles and other equipment that have been used for the products should be washed thoroughly.
The recall concerns specific batches of NAN PRO 1, NAN EXPERTPRO SENCILAC 1, NAN 1 RTD, ALFAMINO, ALFAMINO JUNIOR and NAN EXPERTPRO HA 1. The products are sold in grocery stores and pharmacies in Norway.
Toxins from the bacterium Bacillus cereus can cause temporary vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea in children.
Infants are vulnerable to dehydration and parents should have a low threshold for contacting a GP or emergency room if the child experiences vomiting, abdominal pain or diarrhoea within the first 24 hours after ingestion. Children who have ingested the products without developing symptoms do not need follow-up by a doctor, says senior researcher Solveig Jore at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
Jore also notes,
Ensure regular cleaning of bottles and other equipment that has contained the products is sufficient before further use.
The Hidden Danger of Leftover Cooked Rice: Understanding Bacillus cereus and Its Implications
Bacillus cereus is a spore-forming bacterium that reproduces best at temperatures between 28-35 °C. When nutrients are scarce, the bacterium can enter a spore form (sporulate). The spore form of the bacterium is very resistant to external influences and can survive boiling, drying, alcohol and most cleaning agents. Symptoms are caused by toxins (poisons) produced by the bacterium. Bacterial spores of Bacillus cereus are ubiquitous in soil and can contaminate food, open wounds and drugs. User equipment can also be contaminated with bacterial spores. When conditions are right and nutrients are available, the bacterial spores can “germinate” and reproduce in quantities that cause infection or intoxication (preformed toxin).
Two clinical pictures of Bacillus cereus food poisoning have been described;
Diarrheal type – first described in 1948. Toxins are formed during growth of enteropathogenic strains in the intestine. This is the most common form of Bacillus cereus food poisoning in Norway.
Vomiting type – first described in the 1970s. Caused by preformed toxin (cereulide) that can be formed when the bacteria multiply in foods, especially in starchy foods.
Since the bacterium is ubiquitous in soil and the environment, it can be carried with vegetables when harvested. Spores of Bacillus cereus are therefore found particularly in vegetable products such as rice and flour products. The following violations of basic kitchen hygiene principles can contribute to the proliferation of the bacterium:
heat retention at too low a temperature (<60°C)
insufficient or too slow cooling
storage at room temperature
insufficient heating of food residues