Feb 10, 2026, 4:39 p.mFeb 10, 2026, 4:39 p.m
According to authorities in the Belgian region of Flanders, traces of the toxin cereulide were detected in the stool of five sick infants. These are children just a few months old who had previously consumed recalled products from the Swiss food company Nestlé.
In Belgium, traces of a poison were found in five sick babies.image: imago images
The babies only showed mild symptoms, as the health authority of the Flemish regional government announced on Tuesday.
The affected products have been recalled in Belgium since January 5th. The batch number of the milk powder product that sickened the babies in Flanders was part of this recall, the authority said. Parents were asked to check milk powder based on the company’s or the authorities’ recall lists.
Nestlé said it had not yet received any official information about these cases from the Flemish authorities. “We are pleased to hear that the babies are doing well and have fully recovered, as reported in the media,” a company spokeswoman told the AWP news agency when asked. The group is available to the authorities for questions or further clarification.
Several infant formula manufacturers, including Nestlé, Danone and Lactalis and the Swiss company Hochdorf, have recalled infant milk in more than 60 countries since the end of 2025 due to a risk of cereulide contamination. According to the industry, the background is a contaminated oil from a supplier from China that was used as an ingredient in the milk powder. Cereulide can cause diarrhea and vomiting within a short period of time.
There are reports of sick children from several countries, including Switzerland. In France, authorities are investigating two deaths of infants who allegedly drank contaminated baby milk. A connection with the contaminated food has not yet been proven. (hkl/sda/awp)