Nestl\u00e9 has traced the contamination to arachidonic acid (ARA) oil supplied by an unnamed third party. The issue was first identified during self-monitoring at the company\u2019s Nunspeet plant in the Netherlands, which exports infant nutrition products to approximately 140 markets globally.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnacceptable\u201d delays\u00a0<\/p>\n
Consumer watchdog FoodWatch has accused<\/a> Nestl\u00e9 and Dutch authorities of a serious breakdown in communication and traceability.<\/p>\n FoodWatch says Dutch authorities were first notified of the contamination on December 9, following lab tests in late November that had shown the presence of Bacillus cereus.<\/p>\n Yet when FoodWatch contacted NVWA (Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) on December 15, the organization said it was told Nestl\u00e9 had confirmed no products had been distributed in the Netherlands or Belgium. Three weeks later, Dutch consumers face a recall.<\/p>\n \u201cSo either distribution did occur, or the risk assessment and scope changed, or traceability and communication failed,\u201d Nicole van Gemert, director of FoodWatch Netherlands, tells Food Ingredients First. \u201cConsumers deserve a transparent timeline: when authorities and Nestl\u00e9 first knew, what was known at that time, and why the message to the public was delayed or inconsistent.\u201d<\/p>\n FoodWatch notes that according to French authorities, potentially affected Nestl\u00e9 products were on sale as early as October 2025. Several European countries \u2014 including France, Finland, and Denmark \u2014 initiated recalls in mid-December. Yet the public recall in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Ireland was not triggered until this week.<\/p>\n \u201cIf potentially affected infant formula was already on sale as early as October (2025) and authorities were aware since early December, then a global, public recall only in early January suggests a serious breakdown in rapid traceability and risk communication,\u201d says van Gemert. \u201cNearly a month passed before the recall expanded publicly to dozens of countries. For infant formula, that delay is unacceptable.\u201d Unknown suppliers and \u201csilent\u201d Christmas recall<\/p>\n Austrian authorities have said Nestl\u00e9 conducted a \u201csilent\u201d recall over the Christmas period before issuing public warnings. Van Gemert says this action was inadequate.<\/p>\n \u201cFor infant formula, a \u2018silent\u2019 recall is not an appropriate response when there is a potential unacceptable risk. A silent recall may reduce reputational damage, but it does not protect consumers adequately. Public health must come first, especially for babies.\u201d<\/p>\n FoodWatch is also calling for the unnamed supplier to be publicly identified. \u201cNaming the supplier is part of restoring trust and preventing further harm. It is urgent to ascertain to whom the supplier delivered the potentially contaminated ingredient.\u201d<\/p>\n The organization has submitted seven detailed questions to Nestl\u00e9 Netherlands and is awaiting a response.<\/p>\n FoodWatch is advising parents not to destroy recalled products \u2014 contrary to Nestl\u00e9\u2019s guidance \u2014 noting that packaging may serve as evidence should families later wish to pursue legal action.<\/p>\n Nestl\u00e9\u2019s response<\/p>\n In its product advisory<\/a>, Nestl\u00e9 states: \u201cNo illnesses have been confirmed in connection with the products involved to date.\u201d<\/p>\n The company says it has completed testing of all ARA oil and corresponding oil mixes and is now working with alternative suppliers to maintain supply. Production has been ramped up at several facilities.<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand that this news may cause concern, and we are committed to providing clear, transparent information and support for parents and caregivers throughout this process,\u201d Nestl\u00e9 said.<\/p>\n The Dutch food safety authority NVWA confirmed<\/a> that Nestl\u00e9\u2019s investigation showed contaminated raw material had been used at multiple production sites, including facilities outside the Netherlands.<\/p>\n Brands affected vary by market but include SMA, Beba, Nestl\u00e9 Advanced Nutrition, Alfamino, Guigoz, Lactogen, and Nidal. Batch codes and expiry dates for affected products are published on local Nestl\u00e9 websites and food safety authority portals. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland<\/a> and the EU RASFF<\/a> notification provide further details.<\/p>\n Some countries have gone further than the official recall. Vietnam has ordered a halt to all sales of Nestl\u00e9 powdered milk under the Beba and Alfamino brands, regardless of batch number.<\/p>\n The recall adds pressure on new CEO Philipp Navratil, who was promoted to the role in September following the dismissal of his predecessor Laurent Freixe. The company is reportedly currently cutting 16,000 jobs over the next two years as Navratil seeks to revive growth.<\/p>\n Food Ingredients First has contacted Nestl\u00e9 for further comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nestl\u00e9 is facing what Austrian authorities have described as the largest product recall in the company\u2019s history, as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3219,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[126],"tags":[2367,1212,199,548],"class_list":["post-3218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nestle","tag-cereulide","tag-infant-formula","tag-nestle","tag-product-recall"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3218"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3218\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Brands affected vary by market and regional details with batch numbers being shared online.<\/p>\n