Nestlé, Danone, and Lactalis recalled infant formula in 65 countries due to a risk of contamination with cereulide, a bacteria toxin that causes vomiting and diarrhea.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting infant formula food poisoning cases in all 50 states. If your baby got sick after consuming infant formula that was recalled for cereulide contamination, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Baby Formula Recall Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Infant Formula Recalled for Cereulide Toxin Contamination
In January 2026, the dairy companies Nestlé, Danone, and Lactalis announced precautionary recalls for hundreds of infant formula products that may be contaminated with a bacteria toxin called cereulide. These recalls affected about 800 infants formula products that were sold in at least 65 countries globally.
What is Cereulide?
Cereulide is a toxin that is produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus. The illness rapidly causes nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea, which usually starts within a few hours of consuming the contaminated formula.
French Health Officials Investigate 2 Deaths
French health officials are also investigating whether the deaths of two infants could be linked to a Guigoz® infant formula product that was recalled by Nestlé, but no causal connection has been established.
Contamination Traced to Ingredient From Supplier in China
The contamination of the infant formula products has been linked to an ingredient called arachidonic acid (ARA) oil, which is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid that is added to infant formula to make it more similar to human breast milk. The contaminated ARA oil was manufactured by a single supplier: Cabio Biotech in Wuhan, China.
What Causes Cerulide Contamination?
Bacillus cereus is widespread in the environment and foods, especially starchy foods like rice and pasta. The illness is also commonly known as fried rice syndrome, a type of food poisoning that occurs when B. cereus grows on food that was cooked and then left at room temperature for too long. Under the right conditions, the bacteria grows and produces the cereulide toxin.
Why is Cereulide a Problem in Infant Formula?
Cereulide is remarkably resistant to heat and acid, which means it is unlikely to be destroyed by cooking or using boiling water. This is why even properly-prepared infant formula can still contain cereulide.
Symptoms of Cereulide Poisoning in Infants
In infants, the symptoms of cereulide poisoning usually develop rapidly, within 30 minutes to 6 hours after the infant consumes the formula. The symptoms may include:
- Vomiting
- Dirarrhea
- Abdominal pain and cramps
- Persistent crying and unwilling to feed
- Lethargic (sleepy)
- Refuse feeding
- Other symptoms of dehydration
What is the Risk?
Like other types of food poisoning, cereulide poisoning can be life-threatening for infants. Most cases resolve within 6 to 24 hours, but severe cases may be deadly if left untreated. Infants can rapidly develop dehydration that is life-threatening due to severe fluid loss from vomiting and diarrhea. This requires emergency medical care.
Do I Have a Baby Formula Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting infant formula food poisoning cases in all 50 states. If your baby got sick after consuming infant formula that was recalled for cereulide contamination, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Baby Formula Recall Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
