Parents urged to contact GP if concerned after recall of contaminated formula milk

Parents have been urged to contact their GP if they have any concerns after a recall of a popular formula milk for babies.

A batch of Aptamil First Infant Formula has been recalled by the manufacturer Danone after cereulide toxin was found in the product.

An alert from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said cereulide is highly heat stable and so unlikely to be deactivated or destroyed when making the baby milk as per NHS guidelines.

Symptoms from consuming the toxin include nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, the FSA said.

Danone will be displaying notices in supermarkets and shops selling the formula with a specific batch in 800g tubs with an expiry date of 31October impacted.

Anyone who has bought the affected formula is being asked not to feed it to babies but instead return it to the shop for a refund.

‘Even if you have not identified ill-health in your baby as a result of consumption of this product, it is essential to stop using,’ the advice states.

Anyone prescribed the infant formula by a health professional should consult a pharmacist or other medical professional before changing it, the alert adds.

‘If you have fed this product to a baby and have any concerns about potential health impact, you should seek advice from healthcare professionals, using the most appropriate route depending on where you live, (ie, visit your GP, call NHS 111)’, it adds.

Only the specific batch that was on sale between May to July last year is affected, Danone confirmed.