Koko Maxwella 
Nestlé baby formula products recalled across European markets
ABUJA, Nigeria – Swiss food giant Nestlé acknowledges it waits several days for a health-risk assessment before alerting regulators after detecting cereulide, a potentially harmful bacterial toxin, in baby milk produced at its Dutch factory.
The admission follows a precautionary recall in December of multiple batches of infant formula distributed across 16 European countries, after routine quality checks detect traces of the toxin.
According to an investigation by Le Monde, Nestlé identified cereulide in late November but delayed notifying authorities for nearly ten days while awaiting the outcome of an internal health-risk analysis.
In a statement, Nestlé says “very low levels” of cereulide are discovered following the installation of new equipment at the factory, adding that no regulatory maximum threshold exists for the toxin.
The company halts production immediately and conducts further testing, which confirms minute quantities in products that have not yet left its warehouse.
Nestlé says it informs Dutch, European and national health authorities on December 10 and initiates a voluntary recall of 25 batches produced since the equipment change.
“The recall is a precautionary measure linked to a quality issue, and we have found no evidence connecting our products to illness,” Nestlé says.
French authorities later opened an investigation into the deaths of two infants in December and January who may have consumed contaminated powdered milk.
Nestlé maintains that no causal link exists.
“Nothing indicates any connection between these tragic events and the consumption of our products,” the company says.
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Mirian Gom 
Chukwu Obinna 
Oluwafunbi Bello