SINGAPORE, Jan 9 — Singapore has ordered retailers to stop selling five batches of Nestle NAN infant and follow on formula yesterday after a potential contamination risk involving cereulide toxin was flagged by overseas food safety authorities.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said in a statement reported by CNA that the suspension is a precautionary measure while investigations continue.
“There have been no confirmed cases of illness related to the consumption of the affected Nestle infant formula in Singapore so far,” the agencies said.
The alert followed notifications from the European Commission Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed and the International Food Safety Authorities Network regarding a recall of the same products overseas.
The affected batches, manufactured in Switzerland, are: NAN HA 3 SupremePro (53030017C1 and 53030017B1), NAN HA 2 SupremePro (51420017C4), and NAN HA 1 SupremePro (51460017C2 and 51470017C1).
Cereulide is a toxin produced by some strains of the Bacillus cereus bacterium
that can trigger nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea, with symptoms typically appearing within 30 minutes to six hours of consuming contaminated food.
SFA and CDA said infants are more vulnerable to complications and noted that there are currently no international standards for acceptable levels of cereulide in infant formula or other foods.
CDA said it is monitoring hospitals for possible cases of cereulide poisoning in children and is working closely with SFA as investigations proceed.
“Consumers who have purchased the affected products are advised not to feed them to their children,” the agencies said, adding that parents should seek medical attention promptly if their children become unwell.
A Nestle Singapore spokesperson told CNA that the company had reviewed all its stocks and identified two batches that “needed additional review,” but subsequent laboratory tests confirmed they were safe for consumption.
“We also confirm that all other products sold by Nestle Singapore are safe,” the spokesperson said, adding that the company is working with SFA to provide full visibility on the situation.
Nestle first recalled the affected formula in Europe, and the recall has since expanded to markets across Africa, the Americas and Asia.
Health warnings have been issued in at least 37 countries, including most of Europe, Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico and South Africa, although no illnesses linked to the batches have been confirmed.
Nestle said it tested all arachidonic acid oil and related oil mixes used in the potentially affected products after identifying a quality issue in an ingredient supplied by a major vendor.
The company is increasing production and activating alternative suppliers to maintain supply.