The European Commission has announced a radical tightening of controls on the import of ARA oil from China, which has been identified as the source of contamination of infant formula with the dangerous cereulide toxin. Starting Thursday, customs services will inspect 50% of all shipments of this ingredient. The decision follows massive product recalls by brands such as Nestlé and Danone and numerous infant illnesses across Europe, including fatal cases in France.

Mandatory Customs Controls

EU border services will inspect 50% of all ARA oil shipments originating from China for the presence of bacterial toxins.

Source of Contamination Identified

Investigations have revealed that cereulide toxin entered the formula through a contaminated ingredient supplied by the Chinese company Cabio Biotech.

Massive Product Recalls

Giants such as Nestlé and Danone have recalled formula batches in 60 countries, losing millions of dollars due to sales losses.

The European Commission has taken decisive steps to secure the infant food supply chain following a series of scandals related to the presence of cereulide toxin in infant formula. According to an official communication published in the Official Journal of the EU, the source of contamination is ARA (arachidonic acid) oil produced in China by the company Cabio Biotech. This substance, added to formula to mimic the composition of breast milk, poses a serious public health risk. The new regulations require importers to present laboratory certificates confirming the absence of the toxin in each batch, and customs authorities have been ordered to physically inspect every second shipment. The scale of the crisis has affected over 60 countries worldwide, forcing the recall of tens of thousands of packages of products from brands Nestlé, Danone, Lactalis, and smaller organic producers. Symptoms of cereulide poisoning, produced by Bacillus cereus bacteria, include violent vomiting and abdominal pain, appearing from 30 minutes to six hours after consumption. Approximately 100 cases of illness have been reported in Europe, with the most severe situation in France, where criminal investigations have been launched following infant deaths. Switzerland, although outside EU structures, immediately aligned its regulations with EU guidelines in response to 36 cases of symptoms in children on its territory. Food contamination scandals in East Asia have a long history, including the tragic 2008 scandal when melamine in Chinese milk caused the deaths of six infants and illnesses in 300,000 children, permanently undermining trust in local producers.European food safety agencies (EFSA) have for the first time established safe limits for cereulide, which should facilitate future certification. However, producers such as Nestlé and Danone are already counting losses in millions of dollars, resulting not only from the logistics of product recalls but also from significant reputational damage. The case has sparked a debate over the safety of striving to perfectly replicate the composition of breast milk by adding complex fat supplements imported from markets with lower sanitary control standards. „Consignments should be accompanied by an official certificate stating that all the results of sampling and analyses show the absence of cereulide toxin.” — European Commission