Infant formula scandal: EU Commission tightens import checks
- politics and law
- Transparency and food safety
China is not cooperating and companies have not done their job
In reaction to the scandal involving recalled baby milk containing an ingredient from China potentially contaminated with cereulide, the European Commission is tightening import controls. Starting tomorrow, imports of arachidonic acid oil from China will be subject to stricter controls.
In the affair, one key question has been what response and action Cabio Biotech, the Chinese supplier at the heart of the affair, would take. The EU Commission now says China’s authorities refuse to cooperate with European counterparts. The Commission told foodwatch that it had written to the Chinese authorities on 12 January 2026 and invited them to a meeting with the European delegation. However, China refused to cooperate. The European Commission therefore decided to take stronger action.
As from 26 February 2026, imports of arachidonic acid oil from China will be subject to special conditions upon entry into the Union. Every consignment of arachidonic acid oil originating in China will have to be presented at Border Control Posts (BCPs) of the Member States, where it will be subject to documentary checks and – at a 50% frequency – to physical and identity checks. In addition, every consignment will have to be accompanied by results of laboratory analyses and an official certificate issued by China, stating that the results of sampling and analyses show the absence of cereulide toxin. The Commission now calls on Member States to fully implement these measures.
foodwatch commented: "Because companies have failed to verify that their ingredients are safe for human health, we now find ourselves in a situation where it is up to the national authorities in each Member State to verify that the arachidonic acid oil imported by these large corporations does not pose a health risk to citizens. However, we know that the supervisory authorities in Europe are sorely lacking in resources."
foodwatch points out that the Commission's Implementing Regulation, published as a matter of urgency on 24 February, specifies that "arachidonic acid oil imported from China is likely to constitute a serious risk to human health".