Nestlé infant formula scandal – summary
- British infant hospitalised after consuming recalled Nestlé formula batch
- Baby developed meningitis linked to suspected cereulide contamination exposure
- Mother trusted brand and fed product regularly since infant birth
- Nestlé recalled specific batches globally citing potential cereulide toxin risk
- Investigation ongoing with calls for clarity on contamination source
The Nestlé baby formula scandal took a dramatic turn over the weekend as it emerged a British infant had been hospitalised.
The story, broken by Sky News, revealed the child’s mother had fed her son a now-recalled batch of the popular brand of formula, resulting in him falling “seriously ill”.
Speaking anonymously she said her son, who is just three months old, was first taken to hospital with symptoms that included vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain that got progressively worse.
After tests, including two lumbar punctures, medical teams diagnosed meningitis.
“When people ingest or are exposed to bacteria, it crosses the lining of the mouth or somewhere along the gastrointestinal tract,” Professor Michael Benedict, director of the University of Liverpool’s Brain Infection and Inflammation Group, told Sky News.
Those bacteria can then “enter the bloodstream and stay there, that causes sepsis or bloodstream infection,” he added, “or if it spreads from the bloodstream to an organ, in this case the meninges, the sac around the brain, it results in meningitis”.
The baby has been treated with antibiotics.
The development follows reports a public health agency in Brazil had confirmed the illness of two babies there, who had consumed infant formula recalled by Nestlé.
Trust in Nestlé
The unnamed mother had given her son the product in four-hourly feeds since birth because she said she “trusted the brand”.
She went on to say her “heart sank” when, after her son had already been admitted to hospital, she saw that batches of the formula she had fed him were among those linked to possible contamination with the toxin cereulide.
Nestlé issued a global recall of specific batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula earlier this month "due to the potential presence of cereulide“.
At the time, it said that “no illnesses” had been confirmed in connection with the products”, but was recalling them “out of an abundance of caution”.
The mother is now calling for a full investigation into the matter, saying “we don’t have the full picture of what has happened”.
As details continue to emerge, key questions remain unanswered about how the suspected contamination occurred and whether more cases will be identified.
Regulators, health authorities and Nestlé are now under increasing pressure to clarify the timeline, identify the source of any contamination and determine whether further action is needed.
Nestlé is yet to respond to request for comment.
