Parents, check your pantries — batches of a popular baby formula are being recalled over a potential toxin contamination.
More than 63,000 containers of A2 Milk Company’s Platinum infant formula were recalled after three batches were found to be contaminated with a bacterial toxin called cereulide, the Food and Drug Administration said in a notice issued Saturday.
Cereulide, which can cause food poisoning symptoms in babies like nausea and vomiting, was found during product testing of the brand’s Platinum Premium USA 0-12 months tins.
The milk-based powder formula was sold nationally through the company’s website, Amazon and Meijer stores. It was distributed as part of Operation Fly Formula.
The product is only sold in the U.S., but was produced in New Zealand. The dangerous toxin was found in testing that was conducted due to new guidance by New Zealand’s food regulators.
The FDA said that no illnesses have been reported so far.
Anyone with A2 Platinum infant formula should check the batch numbers. The product was sold in a 31.7-ounce tin and has the following batch numbers and expiration dates:
- 2210269454, Use by July 15, 2026
- 2210324609, Use by January 21, 2027
- 2210321712, Use by January 15, 2027
The FDA estimated that 16,428 tins out of the 63,078 recalled ones were sold to consumers. The formula is designed for babies up to a year old and comes with added iron.
Consumers affected by the recall should switch to another brand right away and return the potentially contaminated product to where they bought it for a full refund.
Any babies experiencing nausea, vomiting or dehydration after ingesting the product should be seen by a pediatrician.
Cereulide bacterial contamination rarely occurs in infant formula, but the bacteria can cause gastrointestinal symptoms in babies that can start within 30 minutes to six hours of ingesting the toxin. Symptoms typically resolve on their own within 24 hours.
The bacteria can multiply and become toxic if infant formula powder is dissolved in water and then stored at room temperature for several hours, which is why it is important to avoid letting a bottle sit out for more than two hours to prevent spoilage. It is also heat-stable, which means that preparing the formula with hot water will not get rid of the toxin.
Food poisoning is even more dangerous for babies because their immune systems are not fully formed and they can become dehydrated very quickly.
It comes months after Nestle issued a global baby formula recall across 60 countries after concerns over potential poisoning by the cereulide toxin.
