The recalls were triggered by the detection—or strong suspicion—of the toxin cereulide, produced by Bacillus cereus bacteria, in an ingredient used in baby formulas. Cereulide can cause vomiting and diarrhea in infants, raising red flags among public health agencies and dairy manufacturers because of the heightened vulnerability of this population.

Nestlé initially pulled products under its Beba and Alfamino brands from shelves in roughly 70 countries after tests indicated contamination in the ARA oil sourced from a Chinese supplier. Subsequent testing and regulatory scrutiny led Lactalis to issue widespread recalls of its Picot infant milks across at least 17 countries, including China, Australia and Mexico, as part of precautionary food safety measures.

France’s food safety authority reportedly knew of the cereulide presence in Lactalis products before the recall, and stakeholders including consumer rights groups have raised concerns about the breadth of the impact, potentially affecting millions of infants worldwide. The recalls come against a backdrop of ongoing legal and regulatory pressure tied to prior infant formula safety incidents.