Aptamil and Cow & Gate Infant Formula Recalled Over Possible Cereulide Toxin

If you've got a tin of Aptamil or Cow & Gate formula in the kitchen, stop and check it before the next feed. Danone is recalling a long list of Aptamil and Cow & Gate infant milks over the possible presence of cereulide, a toxin produced by some strains of Bacillus cereus. This one matters more than most recalls. The people it affects are babies who can't tell you something is wrong, so check your tins now and switch to an unaffected pack until you've done it.

What's Affected

• Brands: Aptamil and Cow & Gate
• Products: A range of formulas including Aptamil 1 First Infant Milk, Aptamil 2 Follow On Milk, the Hungry and Big Pack variants, the Pre-measured Tabs, Cow & Gate 1 First Infant Milk, the Cow & Gate Hungry and Big Pack variants, and Cow & Gate Anti-Reflux
• Pack sizes: 600g, 700g, 800g, and 1.2kg tins, plus the Pre-measured Tabs
• Best-before dates: Affected best-before dates vary by product and pack size, running across 2026 and into early 2027

There are too many product-and-date combinations to list here safely, and getting one wrong helps nobody. The FSA alert sets out the exact best-before range for each individual product. Find your specific tin on that list and check whether your best-before date falls inside the affected window.

What You Should Do

• Don't feed it to your baby. Cereulide is heat stable, which means it isn't reliably destroyed by boiling or making up the feed as normal. Symptoms of exposure include nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
• Switch to an unaffected pack in the meantime so feeds aren't interrupted while you check what you've got.
• Return it to the shop where you bought it for a full refund. You can do this with or without a receipt.
• Already fed some to your baby? If your baby is unwell, contact your GP or call NHS 111 for advice. Mention that the formula has been recalled over a possible toxin.
• Tin not on the list? If your product and best-before date aren't covered by the recall, it's fine to keep using as normal.

For Aptamil products, contact the Aptamil Careline on 0800 996 1000 or visit aptaclub.co.uk. For Cow & Gate products, contact the Cow & Gate Careline on 0800 977 8880 or visit cgbabyclub.co.uk.

Why Formula Recalls Hit Different

Most food recalls give you the option of skipping the product for a while. Infant formula doesn't work like that. For many babies it's the only source of nutrition, so a recall this broad puts parents in the awkward spot of needing a safe replacement immediately rather than just binning the offending pack. The good news is that the recall is tied to specific best-before dates, so plenty of stock on the shelves is unaffected, and other brands are an option if you're caught short. Check the exact dates against your tins, and keep an eye on the FSA alerts page for any updates to the list.