Mum’s warning over recalled baby formulas linked to toxins

Catharine Alexander gave her newborn Arlo Chalmers Cow & Gate First Infant Milk immediately after giving birth in November.

The 24-year-old had used the formula with her first child and believed the milk to be a “trusted brand”.

However, after bringing Arlo home, the mum-of-two said her tot began projectile vomiting and “screaming in agony”.

Terrified, the health and social care student rushed little Arlo back to hospital where he was treated for a bacterial infection, but Catharine now believes the illness was caused by the milk.

null (Image: KennedyNews/CatharineJaneAlexander)

Arlo remained in hospital for five days whilst on oxygen and a feeding tube where he was then switched to SMA LITTLE STEPS First Infant Milk.

However, after being discharged, Arlo’s symptoms continued to worsen, prompting concerned mum Catharine to try Aptamil’s First Infant Formula instead.

Throughout these three months, Arlo was vomiting daily and battled consistent diarrhoea and constipation, leaving Catharine confused as to the cause of his unexplained symptoms.

It was only this month that Catharine said she realised all three brands of milk that she says she fed little Arlo had since been recalled due to the potential presence of cereulide – a toxin that can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps if consumed.

Catharine, who lives in Manchester, said: “It hit me like a tonne of bricks. I felt like I’d fed him some poison when all I want to do is protect my babies.

“I tried every single milk brand. Every single one that’s been recalled, I gave Arlo unfortunately.

“This isn’t something any mother should go through.

“After the first bottle of Kendamil, he was a completely different baby. There was no vomiting and his poos went back to normal.

“He’d had symptoms every day for three months. We’ve had long, sleepless nights and back and forth to the doctors with him.

“I’m still going through the ‘mum guilt’ now, I don’t think I’ll ever shift that.”

A Nestlé spokesperson said: “We are very sorry to hear about any cases where babies are poorly, and our teams will work closely with any families who report these types of concerns to us.

“On January 5, Nestlé voluntarily recalled certain batches of SMA formula because we found that one of the ingredients supplied to us was not of the right quality and did not meet the standards we require.

“Quality and safety is non-negotiable and that is why we have acted quickly and decisively with this precautionary recall.

“We have discontinued sourcing the ingredient from the affected supplier and all batches of the ingredient (from other suppliers) are now being systematically tested to confirm the absence of cereulide. As the UK HSA are reporting, the symptoms are generally self-limiting and usually resolve within 24 hours after last consumption.”

A Danone North Europe spokesperson added: “We take all complaints seriously and we have been in contact with Catharine regarding her concerns.

“We understand how worrying it is for parents when their babies are ill. We want to reassure all parents that all our baby formulas are produced under strict food safety and quality standards and undergo rigorous checks before leaving our factories.

“Low levels of cereulide were identified in some specific recalled batches and we have replaced them with new products. All products available for purchase are safe to use.

“To date there are no confirmed cases of sickness or symptoms linked to our products.

“If their baby has no symptoms parents should not be concerned. If a baby is unwell we would recommend parents speak to their healthcare professional.

“To check if a product is part of the recall, parents can refer to the Cow and Gate or Aptamil website.”

Baby formula recall

On January 5, the Food Standards Agency confirmed that Nestle was undertaking a precautionary product recall of several batches of 12 SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula products in the UK due to the possible presence of the cereulide toxin.

The recall was updated with new product expiry dates on January 9.

On January 24, Danone – another infant formula retailer – recalled one batch of Aptamil First Infant Formula with a best before date of October 2026 because of cereulide contamination.

The toxin can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, and is unsafe to consume.

It is produced by some strains of Bacillus cereus and is highly heat stable meaning it is unlikely to be destroyed by cooking, or when making the infant milk.

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.”

These are the Nestle products being recalled:

 SMA First Infant Milk – 800g

• 53390346AB – Best Before December 2027 (only sold in Northern Ireland)

SMA Advanced First Infant Milk – 800g

• 51450742F1, 52319722BA, 52819722AA – Best Before May 2027

SMA Advanced Follow-On Milk – 800g

• 51240742F2 – Best Before May 2027
• 51890742F2, 52879722AA – Best Before July 2027

SMA Anti Reflux – 800g

• 52099722BA – Best Before April 2027
• 51570742F3, 52099722BB, 52739722BA – Best Before June 2027

SMA ALFAMINO – 400g

• 51200017Y3 – Best Before April 2027
• 51210017Y1, 51220017Y1, 51250017Y1, 51390017Y1, 51420017Y2, 51430017Y1, 51460017Y1 – Best Before May 2027
• 51690017Y2, 51690017Y3, 51700017Y1, 51710017Y1, 51740017Y1 – Best Before July 2027
• 52760017Y5, 52790017Y1, 52860017Y1 – Best Before October 2027
• 53100017Y3, 53110017Y1, 53140017Y1, 53140017Y2, 53150017Y1 – Best Before November 2027

SMA First Infant Milk – 800g

• 51170346AA, 51170346AB – Best Before April 2027
• 51340346AB – Best Before May 2027
• 51580346AA, 51590346AA, 51590346AB – Best Before June 2027
• 52760346AB, 52760346AD, 52780346AA, 52750346AE – Best Before October 2027

SMA First Infant Milk – 400g

• 51350346AA – Best Before May 2027
• 52750346AD – Best Before October 2027

SMA First Infant Milk – 1.2kg

• 51340346BE – Best Before November 2026
• 52740346BA, 52750346BA – Best Before April 2027

SMA LITTLE STEPS First Infant Milk – 800g

• 51220346AD – Best Before May 2027
• 51540346AC – Best Before June 2027
• 52740346AD – Best Before October 2027

SMA Comfort – 800g

• 51240742F3, 51439722BA, 51479722BA, 51769722BA, 52049722AA – Best Before May 2027
• 52620742F3 – Best Before September 2027

SMA First Infant Milk – 200ml

• 52860295M, 52870295M, 52870295M, 53030295M, 53040295M – Best Before October 2026
• 53220295M, 53230295M, 53070295M, 53080295M – Best Before November 2026

SMA First Infant Milk – 70ml

• 53170742B1 – November 2026

SMA Lactose Free – 400g

• 51150346AB, 51719722BA, 51759722BA, 51829722BA, 51979722BA, 52109722BA, 53459722BA – Best Before April 2027
• 51500346AB – Best Before May 2027
• 53299722BA – Best Before August 2027