Nestle has ramped up infant formula production to 24 hours a day at five factories across Europe in response to what is being described as the sector's biggest ever recall. The Swiss food giant is running facilities in France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands at full capacity following a global contamination crisis affecting multiple companies.
The recall has impacted at least five firms across more than 60 countries after cereulide toxin was found in baby formula products. UK health chiefs have confirmed 36 reports of children experiencing symptoms of toxin poisoning linked to the recalls, including nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
Bloomberg reported the production increase as Nestle works to meet demand for infant formula aimed at babies under one year of age, who rely on formula or breast milk for nutrition. The company confirmed: «Production at all our infant formula factories is running at full capacity to ensure our products reach consumers as quickly as possible. We are focused on increasing the availability of infant formula to meet demand, providing parents and families with high quality products they can trust.»
Contamination Source
The contamination originated from a shared, third-party ingredient supplier that the affected companies have stopped using. The Food Standards Agency confirmed that arachidonic acid (ARA) oil, an ingredient crucial for infant development and added to formula for non-breastfed babies, was the contaminated component.
Nestle recalled several batches of its SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula products in January as a precautionary measure. On February 4, the company issued a fresh recall for a batch distributed only in Northern Ireland. Rival Danone recalled one batch of Aptamil First Infant Formula on January 24.
Both Nestle and Danone have confirmed that their Aptamil, Cow & Gate, and SMA products currently on sale do not contain the contaminated ingredient.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
