Global recall of Nestlé baby food: foodwatch criticizes lack of transparency from Nestlé and food authorities
- politics and law
- Transparency and food safety
consumer organisation demands appropriate penalties in food scandals
Regarding the global recall of contaminated Nestlé baby products, foodwatch has criticized a lack of transparency on the part of the company and the responsible food authorities. Nestlé and Dutch food authorities had been aware of contaminations of infant formula products since at least the beginning of December. Some batches were then recalled in a few countries. However, it was not until now, at the beginning of January, that the recall was publicly extended to around 60 countries worldwide. This recall affects more than 800 products from more than ten Nestlé factories – “it is the largest recall campaign in the company's history”, according to a statement from the Austrian government. foodwatch called on the company and the responsible food authority to publish all information now. Many questions remain unanswered, criticized the European consumer organization. Nestlé is currently recalling several infant formula products from many brands such as “Beba”, “Guigoz”, “Lactogen Harmony” and “Alfamino” because they may be contaminated with the toxin cereulide. This can cause vomiting and diarrhea in babies.
“Nestlé's intransparency towards consumers around the world in this case raises questions. Why did we only find out in January 2026 that sixty countries were ultimately affected by the recall of powdered baby milk due to the presence of Bacillus cereus, when there were only nine in December? How does Nestlé, which is supposed to ensure immediate traceability of sensitive baby products, explain the piecemeal dissemination of information and late recalls in many countries?” said Nicole van Gemert, Director of foodwatch Netherlands. “Questions also arise about the role of the Dutch food authorities who knew since at least early December. Why did they not immediately inform the public and the other Member states?”
Already on December 9, Nestlé had informed the Dutch food authorities about contamination with the toxin cereulide after internal checks at a factory in the Netherlands. However, the authorities did not initiate a public recall. foodwatch criticised, it is completely unclear why this did not happen. France recalled a single batch of Nestlé powdered milk on December 11. But the list of recalled products has grown considerably this week. On December 12, there was a first entry on the internal portal of the European food authorities (RASFF), via the Italian authorities. According to its own statements, the food authority in Austria had known about the contamination at least since Christmas – but did not initiate a public recall either, only a so-called “silent recall” without informing the population. It was not until January 5 that a public recall was issued in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany or Ireland among others, and the report on the RASFF portal was extended to around 60 countries worldwide.
The reason for the toxin contamination is apparently a contaminated raw material. However, neither Nestlé nor the authorities have yet been able to trace where the raw material came from. From foodwatch's point of view, this shows once again that the traceability required by EU food law clearly is not working.
Consumer organisation calls for appropriate penalties in food scandals
foodwatch demanded that serious violations be punished with sanctions and fines for companies that are truly financially deterrent. Until now, food companies have too often gotten away with minor warnings and relatively small or no fines.
“For foodwatch, it is unacceptable that information is released to us in dribs and drabs and that the companies responsible for ensuring the compliance of their products delay informing consumers without having to face the consequences. Almost a month passed before these massive infant formula recalls by Nestlé, yet traceability, particularly for baby products, should be immediate”, said foodwatch’s Nicole van Gemert.
foodwatch pointed out that this is not the first time Nestlé has come under criticism for its baby products: In November 2025, Nestlé had already recalled NAN EXPERT PRO lactose-free powdered baby milk in Belgium and Luxembourg due to the possible presence of Cronobacter spp. In France, on April 18, 2025, eight ranges of Nestlé complete baby meals were recalled for exceeding the regulatory limit for ochratoxin A, but here too, the products had been on sale since September 18, 2024, seven months before the recall was published. In laboratory tests conducted several years ago, foodwatch detected mineral oil residues suspected of causing cancer in Nestlé infant formula. Currently, the company is facing legal proceedings in the US due to heavy metals in its baby food. foodwatch has filed complaints against Nestlé in two cases: Buitoni frozen pizzas contaminated with E. coli bacteria that killed children in France, and illegally filtered bottled water (Perrier, etc.).