Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

Three major global dairy companies are rapidly recalling and blocking shipments of infant formula following a contamination incident that began with Nestlé, Azernews reports.

On Wednesday, the list expanded to include French groups Danone and Lactalis, highlighting how a single compromised ingredient can trigger a chain reaction in the highly regulated baby food sector. The recalls reflect the urgent measures companies take to protect consumers, their reputations, and their market share in lucrative regions such as China.

Earlier this month, Nestlé recalled shipments of infant formula in dozens of countries due to possible contamination with cereulide, a toxin that can cause nausea and vomiting. A judicial investigation is underway in France into a potential link between Nestlé milk and the death of a baby. The Ministry of Agriculture expects results in about 10 days.

On Saturday, Singapore’s Food Agency (SFA) ordered, as a precaution, the recall of batches of Danone Dumex Dulac 1 (Thai-made) and Nestlé NAN HA1 SupremePro (Swiss-made) after cereulide was detected.

Meanwhile, Lactalis, a private company, announced on Wednesday that its baby food division is recalling batches of infant formula in 18 countries due to cereulide contamination in an ingredient supplied by one of its vendors.

The fallout is already affecting markets. On Wednesday, Danone shares fell roughly 8.3%, hitting their lowest level since February 2025 in early trading, reflecting investor concern over potential financial and reputational damage.

Industry analysts note that the incident underscores the fragility of global supply chains in the infant nutrition sector, where even minor lapses in quality control can have wide-reaching consequences for companies and consumers alike.