Khaberni - The crisis of baby milk in France is escalating after the Ministry of Health announced the registration of a third infant death who had consumed a product included in the recent market withdrawals.
While the investigations continue, the authorities have emphasized that no direct scientific causal relationship has been proven yet between the consumption of the milk and the recorded deaths.
The French Ministry of Health clarified on its official website, that "by Wednesday, the health authorities had been notified of three infant deaths who were proven to have consumed types of baby milk included in the withdrawal and recall actions," according to the French newspaper "Lemanity".
Despite the serious data, the ministry confirmed that "no causal relationship has been scientifically proven at this stage," noting that judicial investigations have been opened in this regard, including two in the cities of Angers and Bordeaux, aimed at precisely determining the circumstances of these deaths.
In addition to the three deaths, 14 cases of hospitalization have been recorded for infants believed to have consumed the concerned products, whether confirmed or suspected.
While national health investigations have been launched to determine the causes of the potential contamination, their final results are still pending, increasing the families' anxiety.
The "Health for Children" association considered the latest announcement "confirms that the health crisis is still far from control," demanding an immediate and comprehensive withdrawal of all types of baby milk produced since 2025 that contain arachidonic acid oil, a component suspected to be a potential source of cerilide toxin, regardless of the toxin level found in the products.
In a parallel development, 24 families, gathered within a consortium called “Intox’Alim,” filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, February 10, demanding independent analyses to prove a link between their children's symptoms and the cerilide toxin.
The investigation unit of “Radio France” revealed that the authorities asked the families to send the suspected milk containers back to the manufacturing companies themselves for testing in their own labs, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The families and their lawyers criticized what they described as the "danger of lacking neutrality" in these procedures.
The crisis began in mid-December, when “Nestle” announced the withdrawal of dozens of batches of baby milk in about 60 countries due to the possibility of contamination with cerilide toxin.
This was followed by a wave of similar global withdrawals involving major companies such as “Danone” and “Lactalis,” in addition to smaller companies in a rapidly growing market.
At the beginning of February, European authorities lowered the maximum permitted levels for cerilide, leading to a new wave of withdrawals.
The toxin is known for its ability to cause severe vomiting cases that can be dangerous for infants.
Meanwhile, the “Foodwatch” nongovernmental organization and several families have filed a legal complaint against the French state and some manufacturers, accusing them of delaying the withdrawal processes and informing the public about potential risks.
So far, France remains the only European country that has recorded deaths after confirmed consumption of the concerned products. In contrast, other countries have reported dozens of hospitalization cases, including about 30 cases in the United Kingdom, without proving a direct causal relationship.
As the judicial and health investigations continue, the pressure is increasing on authorities and manufacturers to ensure full transparency in one of the most sensitive health crises related to children's products in recent years.
