Nestle issues baby formula update after massive recall across 60 countries

Nestle is running some factories around the clock to step up production of baby formula after a global recall and contamination crisis.

The Swiss food giant confirmed it is working to boost availability to meet demand.

This is understood to include efforts to increase production to 24 hours a day at five factories in France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, according to Bloomberg.

Efforts are focused on maintaining supply levels for products aimed at infants under one years of age, who rely on breast milk or baby formula as their main source of nutrition.

Nestle said: “Production at all our infant formula factories is running at full capacity to ensure our products reach consumers as quickly as possible.

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“We are focused on increasing the availability of infant formula to meet demand, providing parents and families with high quality products they can trust.”

It comes amid the sector’s biggest ever recall, with products from at least five firms said to have been recalled across over 60 countries.

Nestle and Danone have been the hardest hit by the recall, with a raft of products withdrawn from sale over concerns they contain the cereulide toxin, which can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps if consumed.

In the UK, health chiefs confirmed earlier this month there had been 36 reports of children with symptoms of toxin poisoning linked to recent recalls by Danone and Nestle.

It emerged that the contamination originated from a shared, third-party ingredient supplier, which the companies have confirmed they are no longer using.

In the UK, both Nestle and Danone have announced a raft of recalls since the start of the year.

In January, Nestle started a precautionary product recall of a number of batches of 12 SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula products in the UK due to the possible presence of cereulide.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) confirmed recently that the affected ingredient in SMA products was arachidonic acid (ARA) oil.

This plays an important role in infant development and is added to formula to ensure babies who are not breastfed receive it.

A fresh batch of Nestle formula, which was only distributed in Northern Ireland, was also added to a product recall on February 4.

On January 24, Danone recalled one batch of Aptamil First Infant Formula in the UK because of cereulide contamination.

Danone and Nestle have confirmed they are no longer using the affected supplier, and that Aptamil, Cow & Gate and SMA products now on sale do not contain the contaminated ingredient.