Germany Updates the Infant Formula Recall Over Cereulide: A Retail Chain Repeats the Recall for Batches That Remained in Some Stores

The German federal portal lebensmittelwarnung.de updated on October 12 the notice on infant formulas of two brands from the same German manufacturer, recalled from the market for containing cereulide, a toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus. The news is that a German supermarket retail chain is now repeating the recall it had already carried out earlier in the year, after it was found that some affected batches had not been fully withdrawn from sale in part of its branches. The chain's statement was released on October 9.

The notice clarifies that the rest of the retail stores are not affected. According to the available information, units from the batches in question could have reached all 16 federal states of Germany. The manufacturer recommends that families who keep cans from the indicated batches stop using them to feed their babies and return them to the point of purchase, and maintains free helplines for each of the two brands, as does the retail chain for its customers.

Cereulide is a heat-stable toxin: unlike the bacterium that produces it, it is not destroyed by boiling water or preparing the bottle, so control must be done earlier, in raw materials and in the finished product. According to the portal, it can cause vomiting and diarrhea, generally between 30 minutes and 6 hours after consumption. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) published specific information on the subject for the public.

The case is part of the cereulide incident in infant formulas that has led to recalls in several European countries since January 2026. The October update shows that, even months after the original recall, verifying that the product has actually left the shelves remains an essential part of control: a recall only protects the consumer if it is carried out completely across the entire distribution chain.