'Do not feed' - Toxin warning to Irish parents as popular baby formula is recalled

Irish parents are being told not to feed their babies certain batches of popular formula brand SMA due to the possible presence of a toxin that can lead to illness.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has issued a statement to say that Nestlé is voluntarily recalling specific batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula due to the potential presence of cereulide.

They explained: "Cereulide is a toxin produced by some strains of the bacterium Bacillus cereus, which can cause food poisoning.

"This recall is a precautionary measure being taken in the interest of public health, and there have been no reported cases of illness to date."

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The FSAI is advising parents, guardians and caregivers who may have the recalled products at home not to feed them to their infant or young child.

The products and batches being recalled are as follows:

Batch codes can be found on the base of the tin or box for powdered formulas, or the base of the outer box and on the side / top of the container for ready-to-feed formulas.

"The FSAI advises that cereulide toxin may be pre-formed in a food and is extremely heat resistant. Consumption of foods containing cereulide toxin can lead to nausea and severe vomiting. Symptoms can appear within five hours. The duration of illness is usually 6 to 24 hours," a statement read.

"The FSAI is advising parents, guardians and caregivers who may have the recalled products at home not to feed them to their infant or young child. If no symptoms are displayed, nothing further needs to be done. If a parent, guardian or caregiver is concerned about the health of their infant or young child, they should contact a healthcare professional," the spokesperson added.

Nestlé is advising its customers who have purchased any of these batches to contact:

Via its online form, sharing a photo of the product and the batch code HERE.
By calling its careline on 1800 931 832 (Ireland) or 0800 0 81 81 80 (UK)