France probes baby formula producers over contamination recalls

Prosecutors in Paris have opened investigations into five baby formula manufacturers after several issued mass recalls over concerns their product contained a toxin.

Nestle, Lactalis, Danone, Babybio and La Marque en moins will be probed over whether there was any criminal wrongdoing in distributing baby formula that may have been contaminated with cereulide.

French authorities have received complaints from eight individuals who reported their child vomited after consuming baby formula.

Last week, Nestle and Danone issued recalls in more than 60 countries, including the UK, over potentially contaminated batches.

At least 36 infants in the UK have suffered from suspected food poisoning after consuming baby formula, officials have said.

Cereulide is a toxin which is unlikely to be destroyed through cooking or when making baby milk. If consumed, it can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.

The toxin in baby formula was linked to an ingredient called arachidonic acid (ARA) oil, which gives it some of the same growth properties as breast milk.

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) earlier said a third-party supplier of ARA was the source of the contamination and was no longer being used.

That supplier is now widely thought to be a Chinese firm, which Agence France-Presse identified as Wuhan-based Cabio Biotech. The BBC has approached the company for comment.

On Thursday, China's national market regulator told domestic baby formula manufacturers to test for cereulide, without mentioning specific companies.

Prosecutors in Paris will seek to establish whether the baby formula producers are liable for distributing a tainted product.

It will be co-ordinated with local probes into whether there was a causal link between the contaminated formula and the deaths of three babies in France. Nestle and France's health ministry have stressed there was as-yet no evidence to indicate such a link.

So far 28 batches of baby formula produced by Nestle, which makes SMA, and Danone, which makes Aptamil and Cow & Gate, have been recalled.

Danone and Nestle have given assurances to the FSA that recalled batches were produced some time ago and were unlikely still to be on UK shop shelves.

However, they may be in cupboards at home, which is why parents and caregivers are being asked to check their supplies.

Nestle said on Friday that it intended to run five factories around the clock to increase baby formula production after the global recall. Those factories are in France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

"We are focused on increasing the availability of infant formula to meet demand, providing parents and families with high quality products they can trust," the Swiss firm said.