Nestle infant formula recall widens to Africa, the Americas and Asia

LONDON - Nestle’s recall of some batches of infant nutrition products has widened beyond Europe to Africa, the Americas and Asia, including Brazil, China and South Africa, a tally from the company and national food safety statements show.

No illnesses have yet been confirmed in connection with the batches of SMA, BEBA, NAN and Alfamino formula that Nestle has recalled because of possible contamination with cereulide, a toxin that can cause nausea and vomiting.

At least 37 countries,

including most European states

, as well as Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico and South Africa have issued health warnings over the infant formulas possibly being contaminated.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, Nestle Singapore said none of the stocks in Singapore are being recalled.

The company said on Jan 8 that, upon learning about the product recall, it “carried out a thorough check on all stocks, finding that only two batches of products needed additional review”.

“Following further thorough lab testing, we can confirm that they are safe to consume,” it said.

The company confirmed that all other products sold by Nestle Singapore are safe and that it is working closely with the Singapore Food Agency to “provide full visibility on the situation”.

“The safety of our products and the well-being of infants are our highest priority,” it said.

The company added that consumers with queries can reach out to Nestle’s consumer services hotline on 800-6011-633.

The Singapore Food Agency, in a statement late on Jan 8, however, said that it had ordered a stop to the sale of five batches of Nestle’s infant formula and follow-on formula as a precautionary measure owing to the potential presence of cereulide toxin.

The affected products, all of which are from Switzerland, are:

The order will remain in place while SFA carries out investigations, the agency said.

Cereulide is a toxin produced by some strains of Bacillus cereus bacterium, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhoea, SFA said.

The recall piles more pressure on the KitKat and Nescafe maker and its new CEO, Mr Philipp Navratil, who is seeking to revive growth through a portfolio review after management upheavals. Nestle shares are down about 5.7 per cent so far this week.

Brazil’s health ministry said on Jan 7 that the Nestle recall was a preventative measure after the toxin had been detected in products originating in the Netherlands.

Nestle Australia said the batches recalled there had been manufactured in Switzerland, while Nestle China said it was recalling formula batches imported from Europe.

A notice from South Africa’s National Consumer Commission said that the NAN infant formula being recalled was produced in June 2025 and has a lifespan of about 18 months.

“It was also exported to Namibia and Eswatini,” the commission said.

Austria’s Health Ministry said on Jan 6 that the recall affected 800-plus products from more than 10 factories and was the largest in Nestle’s history. A Nestle spokesperson could not verify this.

Nestle said on Jan 6 that it had tested all arachidonic acid oil and corresponding oil mixes used in production of its potentially affected infant nutrition products after a quality issue was detected in an ingredient from a leading supplier.

It is now ramping up production and activating alternative suppliers of the acid oil to maintain supply. REUTERS