Overview
- Lactalis recalled six Picot infant formula lots in France and initiated withdrawals in more than a dozen other countries due to potential cereulide contamination linked to an ARA ingredient from an international supplier.
- French health authorities confirmed ongoing epidemiological and food investigations and a judicial inquiry into a reported infant death after consumption of recalled formula, with no causal link established so far.
- Analyses that were initially compliant were followed by tests on reconstituted product that detected cereulide, prompting Lactalis to expand actions as a precaution.
- Nestlé has already pulled multiple Guigoz and Nidal references across roughly 60 countries and withdrawn about 835,000 boxes in France, with the company apologizing and reporting no confirmed illness cases tied to its products to date.
- Parents have reported dozens of calls to poison centres and some hospitalizations, and separate recalls by brands such as Dumex underline a sector‑wide supplier issue as authorities urge consumers not to use affected lots and to seek medical care if symptoms occur.