News 20.02.2026

Toxin in baby milk: foodwatch takes legal action against companies

  • Transparency and food safety
foodwatch klagt gegen mehrere Hersteller von Babynahrung

Recalls of baby milk linked to suspected toxin cereulide have spread from Europe to 70+ countries. Key questions remain about who knew what, and when.

Since early December 2025, recalls of powdered infant and follow-on formula have multiplied across the EU after potential contamination with the toxin cereulide. Several manufacturers have recalled baby products in Europe and worldwide, including Nestlé, Danone, Lactalis, Vitagermine, La marque en moins, Granarolo and Hochdorf. The products were sold internationally and are intended for infants, including babies under six months and premature infants.

Criminal complaint filed in Paris — families join

While Nestlé were aware of the contamination by end of November and at least the public authorities in the Netherlands by early December, it took weeks before information was shared with the public. foodwatch criticises companies for such a late warning and questions the role of the authorities in that scandal. Indeed delays in public information and product recalls have had very concrete consequences for consumers. 

Several family cases show similar patterns. Following milk consumption, babies developed severe symptoms that did not resolve with standard treatment: repeated vomiting, persistent diarrhoea, fever and abdominal pain.

At the end of January, foodwatch filed a criminal complaint on behalf of eight families whose babies fell ill. The complaint calls for a criminal investigation into possible offences by manufacturers and failures of oversight by the authorities. Eight families have already joined the complaint, and more families are preparing to do so. On 30th January, the Public Health Division of the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation.
 

Information is now slowly coming in, but answers are sorely lacking. We discovered that some recalled batches appear to have been on sale for months. foodwatch has therefore filed a complaint to shed light on this case. The complaint targets several companies, including Nestlé, Danone and Lactalis, and questions the role of the authorities in this matter.
Ingrid Kragl Director of Information and Investigations at foodwatch France

Timeline: what is known so far

  • End of November 2025: Nestlé detects cereulide in its products, according to public information. Reports indicate the company waited for a health risk analysis before notifying authorities weeks later.
  • 9 December 2025: The Dutch food authority NVWA confirms to foodwatch that Nestlé informed it about cereulide contamination following tests in one of the company’s factories in the Netherlands — without product recalls at that stage and without filing notifications on RASFF for other authorities or consumers.
  • 11 December 2025: A first batch of baby milk (Guigoz brand) is recalled in France.
  • 12 December 2025: Italian authorities publish a notification on RASFF. Recalls are carried out in several countries (including Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Finland and Poland), linked to production from the Nestlé factory in the Netherlands.
  • 15 December 2025: foodwatch contacts European Commission services, warning that recalls are too discreet to properly inform consumers.
  • Late December 2025: Further recalls are carried out “silently” in Austria; by early January, only limited official information is available.
  • 5 January 2026: Nestlé significantly expands its recalls — according to the information available, to more than 800 products in at least 70 countries, far beyond the EU.
  • Mid-January 2026: Reports of children falling ill after consuming recalled formula emerge across multiple countries worldwide. More brands announce recalls (including Lactalis and Danone).
  • 29 January 2026: foodwatch files a legal complaint in France.
  • 30 January 2026: A French court opens a judicial investigation following foodwatch’s complaint.
  • 19 February 2025: Seven countries - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Spain and the United Kingdom - have reported cases of infants with gastrointestinal symptoms following the consumption of infant formula products, according to a joint statement from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
     

What foodwatch is demanding now


A letter has been sent to the responsible European Commission officials to demand full transparency about the EU response to the cereulide infant-formula crisis and the full implementation of the General Food Law, which has strict obligations for both companies and public authorities in terms of product safety obligations, traceability, transparency and alerts in case of crises. 

What’s needed from the European authorities now:

  • Full transparency: a clear EU-wide chronology of which actors knew what, and when, and why public information and product recalls took so long.
  • Actions towards companies and their supplier: The European Commission is the guardian of the implementation of the EU General Food Law. This case appears to indicate that legal obligations traceability, public alerts, recalls and communications between authorities were not implemented, putting children’s safety at risk. We need to know which follow-up measures have been taken or are considered towards companies and the main supplier of the ingredient at the origin of the contamination.
  • Commitment to health protection: We need to know which measures the Commission intends to take to ensure the full safety of baby milk, including EU-wide capacities to test for cereulide.  
  • Evidence preservation: Commitment is needed to support ongoing investigations about the contamination through independent testing instead of destruction or return to companies of the recalled batches. 

What should affected parents do?

If your baby fell ill after consuming a recalled formula, stop feeding the formula immediately. Keep all evidence (packaging, batch/lot number, photos, receipt, medical records) and do not throw away or return the product—it may be needed for testing. If symptoms persist and your baby recently consumed recalled formula, ask your doctor to test for the toxin. In France, families may be able to join the foodwatch lawsuit. You can also report suspected cases to your national food authority (links below).

For further support and guidance, contact the corresponding foodwatch office in your country (Netherlands, Austria, or Germany).
 

Where to find up-to-date recall information

Recalls are ongoing, so a full product list can quickly become outdated. Please check your national food authority’s recall page:

Sources and further information