French dairy group Lactalis said on Wednesday its nutrition unit was recalling batches of baby milk in 18 countries, due to the presence of a toxin also cited in a recall by Nestle of some batches of infant nutrition products earlier this month.
“Lactalis Nutrition Santé (LNS) is voluntarily recalling six batches of Picot brand infant milk, available in pharmacies and supermarkets, due to the presence of cereulide in an ingredient sourced from a supplier,” it said in a statement.
Cereulide, a substance of bacterial origin, may cause diarrhoea and vomiting, the statement said.
A Lactalis spokesperson told Reuters that the recall concerned 18 countries: Australia, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Georgia, Greece, Kuwait, Madagascar, Mexico, Monaco, Spain, Peru, Taiwan and Uzbekistan.
It comes as Nestlé recalled several baby formula products due to similar concerns.
Specific batches of its SMA infant and follow-on formulas were deemed unsafe for infants, the company confirmed.
The FSA warned that affected batches may contain cereulide toxin, causing nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. Nestlé apologised to customers, confirming no related illnesses have been reported.
The issue, it stated, stemmed from an ingredient from a leading supplier.
Jane Rawling, head of incidents at the FSA, said: “FSA’s advice is that parents, guardians and caregivers should not feed infants or young children with these products.
“Cereulide is a toxin produced by food poisoning bacteria Bacillus cereus, and can cause food poisoning symptoms which can be quick to develop and include vomiting and stomach cramps.
“I want to reassure parents, guardians and caregivers that we are taking urgent action, helping to ensure all of the affected product is removed from sale as a precaution.
“If you have fed this product to a baby and have any concerns about potential health impact, you should seek advice from healthcare professionals by contacting your GP or calling NHS 111.”