Food giant Nestle has widened its global baby formula recall, just days after first pulling products from shelves over fears they may be contaminated with a dangerous toxin.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the affected products are 'unsafe to consume' because they may contain cereulide - a toxin that can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain and, in extreme cases, has been linked to serious illness and death.
The update, issued on January 8, expands the precautionary recall announced on January 6, adding further SMA infant and follow-on formulas and revising batch numbers and best-before dates.
The original recall was triggered after Nestle identified that specific batches of its SMA products may contain cereulide, a toxin produced by certain strains of Bacillus cereus bacteria.
In its latest guidance, the FSA warned parents to stop using affected products immediately, even if their baby shows no signs of illness.
The watchdog stressed that cereulide is highly heat-resistant, meaning it is unlikely to be destroyed by boiling water or during normal formula preparation.
The expanded recall now covers a wider range of SMA products, including SMA Advanced First Infant Milk, SMA Advanced Follow-On Milk, SMA Anti-Reflux, SMA Comfort, SMA Lactose Free and SMA ALFAMINO, across multiple pack sizes. Some ready-to-feed liquid formulas are also affected.
Despite the widening recall, Nestle said there have still been no confirmed reports of illness linked to the products.
In its consumer recall notice, the company said it was voluntarily recalling specific batches as a precautionary measure because of the possible presence of cereulide.
'The safety and wellbeing of babies is our absolute priority,' a Nestle spokesperson said.
The firm urged parents and caregivers not to feed the affected products to their baby, even if no symptoms have been observed.
It advised customers to check the batch code on the base of the tin, carton or outer packaging, and to contact its customer care team for a refund.
Parents are asked to share a photo of the product and batch code via Nestle's customer service channels, or call the careline on 0800 081 8180 to arrange a refund.
There is also an online batch-checking tool on the SMA website that can confirm whether a product is affected.
Nestle also said that if an infant formula was prescribed by a healthcare professional, parents should destroy the affected product and consult a pharmacist, GP or other medical professional before switching formula.
The company added that it believes no other Nestle products are affected, and that the potential contamination was linked to an ingredient supplied by a third-party manufacturer.
Jane Rawling, head of incidents at the Food Standards Agency, said earlier this week that urgent action was under way to protect families and remove affected products from sale.
'If you have fed this product to your baby and have any concerns about potential health impacts, you should seek advice from healthcare professionals,' she said, advising parents to contact their GP or call NHS 111.
Cereulide poisoning is rare but taken seriously by regulators because symptoms can develop rapidly and the toxin cannot be neutralised by heat.
Unlike many food-borne bacteria, cereulide is not destroyed by cooking or reheating.
In a widely reported case in 2019, a student died after eating pasta contaminated with Bacillus cereus, highlighting the potential severity of exposure in rare circumstances.
The FSA said that even if babies show no immediate signs of illness, parents should stop using the affected products as a precaution, because symptoms can develop quickly.
Parents who have bought any of the affected formulas are advised not to feed them to babies.
Refunds are available through Nestlé, and a full, updated list of affected products and batch codes can be found on food.gov.uk and Nestle's UK website.
