By Nkechi Eze
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced that Danone Nutricia is recalling multiple batches of its Aptamil and Cow and Gate infant milk products over possible contamination with cereulide toxin.
In a public alert issued on its official X platform on Wednesday, the agency informed healthcare providers, caregivers, stakeholders, and the general public that the precautionary recall affects Aptamil First Infant Milk and Follow-on Milk Formula products.
NAFDAC explained that cereulide is a harmful toxin produced by bacteria that can cause food poisoning, with symptoms including nausea and severe vomiting.
The affected products include various pack sizes of Aptamil 1 From Birth First Infant Milk, Aptamil 2 Follow-On Milk, and several Cow and Gate First Infant Milk variants, including standard, hungry baby, anti-reflux, and big pack formats.
The agency clarified, however, that the affected batches were produced in Ireland and Hungary and distributed in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and other countries, and do not include products manufactured specifically for Nigeria.
According to NAFDAC, Aptamil formulas produced for the Nigerian market meet Codex safety standards, are properly registered, and remain safe for consumption.
The agency added that Danone Nutricia has already taken precautionary measures by blocking the affected products in its Nigerian warehouse and has commenced laboratory testing to ensure consumer safety.
