Nestlé is recalling some baby formulas that do not work in Canadian products, the company said
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Nestlé is recalling a number of baby formulas, mainly in Europe, due to concerns about contamination with toxins that could cause nausea and vomiting. However, the recall does not apply to any Canadian products, according to the company.
The company said it is voluntarily recalling the products, which include the SMA, BEBA and NAN infant formula batches, as a “precautionary measure” because of the possible presence of a chemical called cereulide in those batches.
Cereulide is a toxin caused by a type of bacteria that can cause food poisoning and cause severe vomiting and nausea for up to 24 hours, according to the food inspection agency of Ireland, one of the countries affected by the recall. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has also warned that toxins may form first in the food and that it is resistant to excessive heat.
“The safety and well-being of children is our number one priority,” Nestlé said in a reminder on its website. “Out of an abundance of caution, Nestlé has decided to voluntarily carry out this product recall in accordance with our strict quality and safety regulations.”
Nestlé told Reuters it had tested its products after a quality problem was discovered in an ingredient from a supplier. Since testing has been completed, Nestlé said it is using other suppliers to stock the product in an effort to maintain formula availability.
Nestlé, which makes products ranging from KitKat chocolate bars to Nescafe instant coffee, said Monday night that no illnesses had been confirmed in connection with the recalled products.
Repatriation works in many countries, Turkey, Argentina, UK, Ireland and other European countries. However, the company confirmed to CBC via email that the recall does not affect any products within Canada.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) also confirmed to CBC that it is not aware of any Canadian distribution of the affected formulas.
“If more information becomes available or products on the Canadian market are affected and a recall is requested, the CFIA will notify the public by posting recall information on the Recalls and Safety Alerts website and issue food recall alerts if necessary,” a spokesperson for the inspection agency said in a statement.
Nestlé has published a list of affected batch numbers online; batch codes can be found on the bottom of cans or formula boxes. The company is advising consumers who purchased the affected formulas not to feed them to their babies and to contact the company for a refund.
The 2025 Nutritious Food Basket prepared by Ottawa Public Health looked at infant formula accessibility for the first time.
Austria’s health ministry said the recall affected more than 800 products from more than 10 Nestlé factories and was the largest in the company’s history. Those figures have not been confirmed by Nestlé.
The Swiss multinational, which has seen its shares fall more than 3 percent in the past two sessions, controls about a quarter of the global infant formula market, according to SkyQuest Technology Group.
Nestle does not publish sales data, but baby formula is part of its Nutrition and Health Science division, which accounted for 16.6 percent of the company’s total sales in 2024 of 91.4 billion Swiss francs ($158.4 billion Cdn).
The restructuring, which began on a small scale in December, also adds pressure to Philipp Navratil, the company’s new chief executive who seeks to revive growth through a portfolio review after a period of management turmoil.
