Nestlé already detected cereulide in the factory at the end of November
Keystone-SDA
Swiss food giant Nestlé first detected the toxin cereulide in infant formula at a factory in the Netherlands at the end of November.
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But it took several weeks before the company could identify the original source. “At the end of November 2025, we detected very small quantities of cereulide in product samples as part of routine checks following the installation of new equipment on a production line at our factory in the Netherlands,” Nestlé outlined in a chronology of events.
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Production on the affected line was subsequently halted. On December 10, Nestlé informed the Dutch authorities as well as 16 potentially affected country markets and the European Commission.
In the course of the further investigation, Nestlé realised that the contamination, which can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, did not originate from the production plant in the Netherlands, but from oil sourced from a third party. Nestlé had processed this oil in Switzerland and distributed it as a mixture to its plants worldwide.
Oil contaminated
According to Nestlé, the initial analysis results from its own laboratories on December 23 confirmed that the oil mixture was the source of the contamination. Nestlé was able to narrow down the contamination to oil deliveries in 2025. According to tests, deliveries from earlier years were apparently not affected.
This information was confirmed on December 29. This made it clear that it was not just a problem for Nestlé but for the entire industry that worked with the supplier in question.
Nestlé then informed the supplier, the authorities and the industry. From January 2, Nestlé informed the authorities in around 60 countries and the affected batches of infant formula were gradually recalled publicly.
Other manufacturers
Other baby food manufacturers such as the French company Danone and the Swiss food manufacturer Hochdorf also recalled certain products because they had worked with the same supplier. However, some of the recalls only took place two to three weeks later. The reasons for this are unclear.
The French newspaper Le Monde contradicts Nestlé’s account. The timetable given by the company is not correct, the newspaper claimed on Friday.
According to a “high-ranking source”, the oil enriched with arachidonic acid was already known to Nestlé on December 10 as the source of the contamination, which was immediately reported to the authorities.
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Translated from German by AI/mga
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