Nestlé and Danone under fire following infant formula crisis: still contaminated products

The food safety crisis involving contaminated infant formula from several companies, including Nestlé, Danone, and Lactalis, continues to unfold: in Belgium, contaminated products have accidentally ended up back on store shelves, while a French parliamentary report has also been scathing in its criticism of the response.

“Too slow and too little external oversight”

In December, the ball started rolling when Swiss food giant Nestlé recalled dozens of batches of infant formula in sixty countries. The formula may have contained cereulide, a toxin that can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea in infants. Danone and Lactalis later followed suit with similar recalls. In each case, the cause turned out to be contaminated oil from a Chinese subcontractor.

A French parliamentary report now accuses both the government and the manufacturers of serious shortcomings in their handling of the crisis: according to the report, both parties reacted too slowly. Nestlé did not notify the authorities and other manufacturers until late in the process, while the government took seventeen days to inform all healthcare providers. Members of Parliament criticize the lack of independent inspections and warn that regulators rely too heavily on self-monitoring by the industry.

Recalled milk in Belgian stores

In Belgium, contaminated products are now reappearing on store shelves, despite earlier recalls. Due to a delivery error at Medi-Market and pharmaceutical distributor Phoenix, two batches of Danone’s Nutrilon infant formula were accidentally sold between late April and mid-May. Parents are asked to check the batch numbers and return the products. The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) is currently investigating all affected retail locations. It is estimated that around 200 boxes are involved.

To prevent a recurrence, the French parliament has made twelve recommendations, including stricter rules for additives in infant formula and more independent inspections, funded by the industry itself. Nestlé emphasizes that the company has acted transparently and cooperated closely with the authorities since the first detection of cereulide (late November 2025). Nevertheless, criticism persists, particularly because products were not publicly recalled until January 2026. Danone also acknowledges the error and promises better controls in the future.