EU advises lower toxin limit in baby formula after global recalls

The EU's food safety body said on Monday the threshold for the cereulide toxin ‌at the centre of a global infant formula recall should be cut by more than half, a move likely to prompt ⁠further product withdrawals. Cereulide, a toxin that can cause nausea and vomiting, has been detected in ingredients from a Chinese factory supplying major formula makers including Nestle, Danone and Lactalis.

The EU's food safety body said on Monday the threshold for the cereulide toxin ‌at the centre of a global infant formula recall should be cut by more than half, a move likely to prompt ⁠further product withdrawals.

Cereulide, a toxin that can cause nausea and vomiting, has been detected in ingredients from a Chinese factory supplying major formula makers including Nestle, Danone and Lactalis. The contamination triggered infant ​formula recalls in dozens of countries and fuelled concerns among parents.

The European Commission asked ‍the European Food Safety Authority to provide an urgent scientific threshold, known as an acute reference dose (ARfD), to guide governments and producers on when products should be pulled from shelves. France, which anticipated EFSA's advice over the ⁠weekend, said ‌that a tighter threshold ⁠would likely lead to additional precautionary recalls.

In its assessment, EFSA proposed a new limit of 0.014 micrograms per ‍kilogram of body weight for infants, saying very young babies process substances differently and require extra protection. ​It said vomiting was the key short-term symptom used to set the threshold. EFSA also ⁠estimated how much formula infants are likely to drink in a 24-hour period, allowing scientists to calculate when the ⁠new limit would be exceeded.

Based on those consumption levels, EFSA said that cereulide concentrations above 0.054 micrograms per litre in infant formula and 0.1 micrograms per litre in ⁠follow-on formula could pose a safety concern. French investigators are looking into whether there is a link ⁠between the death ‌of two infants and recalled formula products, the health ministry said, adding that there was no such evidence at this point. Results were ⁠expected in the coming days.

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