Danone has recalled at least three batches of its Aptamil baby formul
a in Germany, a letter to a wholesaler showed on Thursday, as the Fre
nch food producer scrambles to contain a scare over a toxin contamination that started with Nestle products.
In the letter dated January 26, Danone Deutschland asked wholesaler Alliance Healthcare to withdraw some batches of Aptam
il produced between May and August 2025. The letter, published by online pharmacy Shop Apotheke, said it believes the wholesaler
would have little or no remaining stock given that it had subsequently received deliveries of new products.
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Danone had said on Friday that it was recalling specific baby formula batches in targeted markets. It did not specify which brands o
r countries were affected, or the volume of goods, but has emphasized that it believes its products are safe and comply with all applicable safety regulations.
Read more: France Reports Second Baby Death Amid Tainted Formula Crisis
Danone did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Initial product concerns surfaced in December, but escalated in early January when Nestle said it was withdrawing some batches of its infant nutrition products, includin
g SMA, BEBA and NAN formulas, due to possible contamination with a toxin cereulide that can cause nausea and vomiting.
The recalls have affected dozens of countries and since widened to other French producers Lactalis and Vitagermine, threatenin
g combined losses exceeding $1 billion. Danone’s shares have lost almost 13% in the last two weeks.
French investigators are examining whether there is a link between the death of two infants and recalled formula products.
On Thursday, Germany’s Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety said certain batches of Danone product
s were being withdrawn and that an official recall can only be made when products are known to have reached consumers.
The recalls highlight how a single compromised ingredient can spread through the tightly regulated infant nutrition
sector, triggering swift action from regulators and causing rapid market jitters.
Cereulide, a toxin produced by the Bacillus cereus bacteria, was detected in an ingredient sourced from a supplier. France’s
agriculture ministry has said the product originated in China, while Ireland’s Food Safety Authority has said cereulide was detected in arachidonic acid oil manufactured in China.