Food Safety Authority stands by formula recall statement

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has defended a public statement in which parents of infants were told that a formula potentially affected by a toxin had not been distributed into the country despite it being sold online.

On January 23, the FSAI issued a press release to state that Danone was recalling specific batches of Irish-manufactured Aptamil formulas in other countries because of the potential presence of the toxin cereulide, which can cause food poisoning.

At the time, the authority advised the public that Danone had informed it that while the implicated products were manufactured in Ireland, none had been distributed in the country and they had instead been exported.

Days later, the FSAI confirmed that some of the affected products had in fact been sold to Irish customers via Boots.ie.

Danone said the sales had occurred in June and July. The products had an expiration date at the end of October 2026, months after the the initial statement.

Asked if it was satisfied that it provided Irish consumers with accurate information on January 23, the FSAI said it is up to food business operators to provide competent authorities with “accurate, timely information”.

In a statement, it said: “The FSAI and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who regulate the Danone manufacturing facilities in Ireland, continue to engage with Danone to ensure that all food safety measures are being taken to protect consumers.

“The recall by Danone is part of a global recall and queries pertaining to the shelf life of products are best directed towards Danone.”

Asked what steps it takes to verify information provided by food businesses, the FSAI did not specifically answer the query.

The January 23/26 recall related to 800g packs of Aptamil 1 From Birth First infant milk with an expiry of October 31 2026.

Last week, however, Danone issued an expanded recall to other Aptamil and Cow & Gate brands of formula.

Information on the recall is available on the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s website.

Danone says it “never compromises on food safety” and said it wanted to reassure all parents that “we take this responsibility seriously”.

It said all its baby formulas are produced under strict food safety and quality standards and undergo rigorous checks before leaving its factories.

It said the recall was in line with the latest guidance and that “low levels of cereulide were identified in some specific batches and we have replaced them with new products”.

It said all products available for purchase are safe to use.