Recalled Danone Aptamil product was also sold in Ireland, regulator warns – The Irish Times

Irish-made infant formula pulled from shelves across Europe last week over concerns it contained a toxin that causes food poisoning was also sold in Ireland despite assurances to the contrary, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has said.

The product and batch being recalled are 800g tubs of Danone’s Aptamil 1 From Birth First infant milk with an expiry date listed as 31-10-2026.

The multinational food producer makes formula under the Aptamil, Nutrilon and Cow & Gate brands at plants in Wexford and Macroom, Co Cork.

Initially, the FSAI said the products implicated in the recall were exported from Ireland to a number of countries in the European Union, the UK and elsewhere, including Singapore.

Danone initially assured the regulator that none of the batches facing recall had been distributed in Ireland.

However, in an update, the FSAI said that due to indirect distribution to Ireland from the UK, the implicated packs were sold via the Boots.ie website for online sales here.

The recall is associated with a contaminated raw ingredient that was also implicated in the recent recalls of some batches of infant formula and follow-on formula.

[ Danone recalls infant formula made in Ireland from shelves across EuropeOpens in new window ]

An ingredient, ARA oil, manufactured in China, was contaminated with cereulide and added as an ingredient in base powder used to make the products.Cereulide is a toxin produced by some strains of the bacterium Bacillus cereus, which can cause food poisoning.

The FSAI and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which regulate the Danone manufacturing facilities in Ireland, continue to engage with Danone to ensure that all food safety measures are being taken to protect consumers.

The FSAI said the cereulide toxin may be preformed 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 six to 24 hours.

It advised parents, guardians and caregivers who may have the recalled product at home not to feed it to their children.

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.