Nestlé had earlier begun recalling batches of baby food in dozens of countries due to possible contamination with cereulide. This substance can cause nausea and vomiting. Diarrhea is also mentioned as a possible symptom. The recall concerned specific batches, not all products.
Cereulide was detected in a batch of milk powder at a Nestlé factory in the Netherlands, after which investigations confirmed the trace to the involved ingredient. Lactalis spoke of a voluntary recall due to cereulide that had been supplied by a Chinese supplier. The French Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that one supplier in China produced the raw material involved.
Danone came into focus via Singapore, where the local food authority intervened as a precaution. Danone blocked the sale of certain baby foods, while authorities ordered a recall of a batch of Dumex Dulac 1. Danone said this concerned a limited quantity, at most “a few pallets.”
In France, there is also an ongoing judicial investigation into a possible link between the death of a baby and Nestlé milk powder. Nothing definitive has yet been reported about the outcome of this investigation.
The unrest is also affecting financial markets. Sharp declines in stock prices of Nestlé, Danone, and Lactalis have been reported.