Khaberni - Nestle announced the recall of child nutrition products from 25 markets around the world after discovering the possibility of them being contaminated with a toxic substance that may cause nausea and vomiting.
On Tuesday, Nestle issued notices to recall some infant nutrition products in 23 European countries, in addition to Turkey and Argentina, as it works to ramp up production in several of its factories to compensate for the potential shortage.
The company announced on Monday evening the recall of some of its products, including infant milk formulas from the "SMA", "BEBA", and "NAN" lines, along with some supplementary food products, due to the possibility of contamination with a toxic substance that may cause nausea and vomiting, as reported by Reuters news agency.
This extensive recall, which began on a smaller scale in December, poses a challenge to Nestle's new CEO, Philippe Navratil, who is seeking to boost growth through a comprehensive review of products after a period of managerial turmoil.
The manufacturer of products like "Kit Kat" and "Nescafe" confirmed that so far, no cases of illness or symptoms related to the recalled products have been recorded.
A spokesperson for Nestle said on Tuesday: "After discovering a problem in the quality of an ingredient supplied by a key provider, tests were conducted on all arachidonic acid oils and oil blends used in the production of the infant feeding products that may be affected."
The recall process included batches of "SMA", "BEBA", and "NAN" products in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, and Britain, warning of the potential presence of the toxin cereulide, which is produced by certain strains of Bacillus cereus bacteria.
The British Food Standards Agency explained that cereulide is stable at high temperatures, meaning that it is not affected by cooking or boiling water during the preparation of baby milk, and its consumption can quickly lead to the appearance of disease symptoms.
The Austrian Ministry of Health reported that the recall process involved more than 800 products from more than 10 factories belonging to Nestle, making it the largest product recall in the company's history.
Nestle published batch numbers of the products sold in various countries, advising against their consumption, and confirming that it is working to minimize any potential supply disruption.
The company also clarified that the potential risks were identified in one of its factories in the Netherlands, and it continues to take necessary measures to ensure the safety of the remaining products.
