Today it is known that Rospotrebnadzor Temporarily suspend imports to Russia and domestic sales of previously imported shipments of certain brands of infant milk powder and formula milk for medical nutrition. A day earlier, Nestlé Russia officially announced that it was voluntarily recalling “a limited number of products from the Russian market due to increased quality control measures of raw materials from an external supplier” and promised to soon announce the conditions for returning questionable products and the procedure for refunding costs.
The culprit of the scandal is the poison cereulide discovered in vegetable oil – the raw material used to produce the mixture.
What is cereulide toxin?
Cereulide is a toxin produced by certain strains of the bacteria Bacillus cereus. It is heat resistant (does not collapse when boiled) and can cause rapidly developing symptoms of food poisoning: nausea, vomiting, stomach pain. It poses a particular danger to infants with immature immune systems.
For example, in the UK, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned that the toxin is not destroyed by formula milk and urged parents not to feed their children problematic foods.
Risk of contamination of Nestlé powdered milk for infants
In early December 2025, Nestlé reported the possible presence of cereulide in some batches of infant formula. The contamination involved an ingredient, arachidonic acid (oil), which the company purchased from one of its outside suppliers. Due to the risk of final product contamination, the company has recalled the affected batches.
Recovery level
The product recall affects more than 25 countries, including European countries, Türkiye and Argentina. The company calls it global.
The December recall included mixtures under the brands SMA, BEBA, NAN, Alfamino, Guigoz, Nidal.
In Russia, as Rospotrebnadzor clarified today, batches of NAN 1 OPTIPRO, NAN 2 OPTIPRO, NAN Supreme, NAN EXPERPRO, NAN lactose-free, Pre NAN, Nestogen Comfort, Alfare Amino, produced from April 15 to November 27, 2025, are being recalled.
According to the Austrian Ministry of Health, the current situation is the largest recall in the company's history, including products from more than 10 factories.
The company itself said it is working with the supplier to eliminate the root cause of the risk of using low-quality raw materials. To achieve this, comprehensive testing of all batches of arachidonic acid is carried out, alternative suppliers are engaged and production is increased at other plants where contamination may not be present.
It is hoped that the rapid recall of products from at-risk areas will prevent children from being poisoned. In any event, there have been no confirmed cases of illness linked to these mixtures. The manufacturer emphasized: “The recall is precautionary in nature.
What should buyers do?
The company has published the affected batch numbers on its website in each country and recommends that products be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund (even without a receipt).
Recommendation for parents: Check the lot code on the formula packaging (at the bottom of the jar or box) and check the list of recalled products on the official Nestlé website.
A notice from the company's representative office in Russia said that a detailed list of recalled products as well as information on refund and compensation procedures will be published in the near future on the company's website.
