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Food Safety
Here’s what you need to know about the Nestlé baby formula recall
Eight batches of SMA Nestlé baby formula were recalled by the food safety regulator due to the possible presence of a toxin called cereulide.
BATCHES OF EIGHT types of Nestlé’s SMA baby formula were recalled by the food safety regulator yesterday over the presence of a toxin that can cause vomiting.
The eight types of formula, designed for premature infants, infants, and babies over six months, may contain cereulide.
If you have purchased any of the implicated batches, Nestlé has said not to use the formula to feed infants or young children.
In a statement, the company said: “Following the detection of a quality issue with an ingredient provided by a leading supplier, Nestle has undertaken testing of all arachidonic acid (ARA) oil and corresponding oil mixes used in the production of potentially impacted infant nutrition products.”
It said it was voluntarily recalling the products as a precaution.
What are the implicated batches?
The full list of recalled products and their batch codes and expiry dates is:
| SMA Advanced First Infant Milk | 800g | 51450742F1 | May-27 |
| SMA Advanced Follow on Milk | 800g | 51240742F2 51890742F2 |
May-27 Aug-27 |
| SMA Comfort | 800g | 52620742F3 | Sep-27 |
| SMA First Infant Milk | 200ml | 53070295M 52860295M 52870295M 53220295M 53230295M |
Nov-26 Oct-26 Oct-26 Nov-26 Nov-26 |
| SMA First Infant Milk | 800g | 51590346AB 52750346AE |
Jun-27 Oct-27 |
| SMA GOLD PREM 2 | 800g | 53090742F2 | Nov-27 |
| SMA LITTLE STEPS First Infant Milk | 800g | 51540346AD | Jun-27 |
| SMA Alfamino | 400g | 51200017Y3 51210017Y1 51250017Y1 51460017Y1 51710017Y1 |
Apr-27 Jan-27 May-27 Oct-27 Jun-27 |
Batch codes can be found on the base of the tin or box for powdered formulas, or the base of the outer box and on the side or top of the container for ready-made formulas.
What is cereulide?
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said the cereulide toxin in produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus.
It is extremely heat-resistant and c consuming foods containing it can lead to nausea and severe vomiting, as well as stomach cramps.
Symptoms can appear within five hours and illness can last between 6 and 24 hours, the FSAI said.
I fed my child with an implicated batch of formula. What should I do?
If the child has displayed no symptoms of having been impacted by the cereulide toxin, no further action needs to be taken, the FSAI said.
However, if you have fed a child with formula from the implicated batches and you are concerned about their health, you should contact a healthcare professional.
The FSAI has said that at present, there are no confirmed reports of any illness associated with the consumption of the products included in the recall.
I bought formula from an implicated batch. How do I get my money back?
If you have purchased any affected products, Nestlé has urged customers to contact the company.
You can do this either by calling its helpline on 1800 931 832, or through its online form, where you are asked to share a photo of the product and the batch code.
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