Nestlé lost a lot of trust by recalling baby food. But now the Swiss manufacturer Hochdorf has to admit the same problems. Competitor Danone, on the other hand, is struggling with delivery problems.
Jan 15, 2026, 1:09 p.mJan 15, 2026, 1:09 p.m
Stefan Ehrbar / ch media
Toxins in infant formula are parents’ nightmare – and the Swiss food company Nestlé made it a reality at the beginning of the year. He had to inform that Beba brand products, as well as specialty products such as Alfamino, may contain the toxin cereulide, which can cause nausea and vomiting. The group has since recalled several batches in 60 countries, including Switzerland. According to Nestlé, the cause is a technical defect in a supplier. The company emphasizes that this is a voluntary recall (the affected batches can be found here).
Be careful with Bimbosan too: After Nestlé, Hochdorf also has to recall baby food because of a toxin.Image: www.imago-images.de
Although the financial impact for the group is unlikely to be substantial, the loss of trust and thus the damage to Nestlé is huge. CEO Philipp Navratil was forced to apologize “sincerely for the worries and inconveniences” via video. In hardly any other area is trust as important as when it comes to food for the little ones. It doesn’t help that no cases of illness have been reported so far and the babies are not in serious danger.
Competition could benefit from the crisis at Nestlé, such as the Swiss manufacturer Hochdorf, which operates the baby food business with the Bimbosan brand. But now it turns out: Hochdorf has the same problem. On Thursday, the company said it had to recall one of its Bimbosan goat milk products.
Diarrhea or vomiting are possible
10,000 out of 1.2 million packs produced in 2025 will be affected (The affected batches can be found on this website). Hochdorf also emphasizes that the recall is voluntary. This is a precautionary measure due to a defective raw material used in production. The recall has been agreed with the responsible authorities in the canton of Thurgau, where Hochdorf produces its baby food.
Spicy: The same substance is the problem at Hochdorf as at Nestlé. Quality defects were found in parts of the omega-6 fatty acid arachidon, which came from a previous supplier. She is partially contaminated with cereulide. Due to the small amount, this does not pose a serious health risk to babies. However, “mild impairments” such as diarrhea, nausea or vomiting cannot be completely ruled out.
Bimbosan goat milk is affected by the recall.Image: zvg
Hochdorf received validated test results from its previous supplier this week about quality problems with parts of the arachidonic acid it supplied in 2025. The company then informed the responsible laboratory in the canton of Thurgau “immediately” and initiated the precautionary recall in consultation with the authorities.
Danone is having delivery problems
The affected products are aimed at infants aged 0 to 6 months. Goat’s milk is intended for babies with sensitive tummies. It can be fed in combination with breastfeeding, but can also be used as sole nutrition.
The French food company Danone is also active in this area of pre-nutrition with its Aptamil products, which, according to previous information, are the best-selling baby food in Switzerland. Current figures are not available.
But Danone is also currently having problems, although not because of recalls, but rather a lack of availability. The product “Profutura Duo Pre” – according to the company, the “most advanced initial milk” from the Aptamil range – has been no longer available for a few days at retailers such as Migros and Coop, but also in pharmacies and online shops, or is only available in isolated cases.
There is no fundamental availability problem, says Danone spokesman Philippe Aeschlimann when asked. However, “as part of a now completed adjustment to our disposition planning,” there was a temporary shortage of stocks, which meant that the product was temporarily not available in certain sales channels or is still not available.
This does not affect Aptamil’s Pronutra products, i.e. the more commonly sold initial milk, which has a slightly lower content of so-called human milk oligosaccharides. (aargauerzeitung.ch)