EU sets toxin limit amid global infant formula recalls

 

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has established a recommended maximum safe daily intake for the toxin cereulide for infants, following suspected contamination of infant formula that triggered recalls in more than 60 countries.

Cereulide, produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus, can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea and in young infants can lead to dehydration.

Since December, major dairy manufacturers, including Nestlé, Lactalis and Danone, have carried out precautionary recalls of baby formula batches worldwide after cereulide was detected.

In response, the European Commission requested that EFSA provide urgent scientific advice and propose an EU-wide safety threshold as a harmonised standard to trigger recalls. (...)