Nestlé ‘s CEO, Philipp Navratil, has apologised for the worry and inconvenience caused to parents and caregivers after health authorities in more than 50 countries, warned against using their infant formula. The products recalled were from Nestlé’s SMA, BEBA, NAN and Alfamino brands.
Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil released a video apologizing to the public and admitting that the company has created an “undeniable worry and disruption” for parents/caregivers. In the apology video, he stated that the issue regarding the recall stems from a quality issue concerning the ingredient Arachidonic Acid Oil (ARA) that may be contaminated with cereulide, a toxin known to cause nausea and vomiting, supplied by one of Nestlé’s manufacturing facilities located in the Netherlands.
Nestlé has now stopped using this supplier for products and has begun to produce new products using another source.
UK Mother Alleges Infant Fell Seriously Ill After Consuming SMA Formula of Nestlé
Later an anonymous mother from the United Kingdom has claimed that after giving her 3-month-old son SMA infant formula, he developed serious issues like vomiting and diarrhea, as well as severe abdominal pain, and eventually ended up in the hospital diagnosed with meningitis after being subjected to many tests.
According to her, she trusted the SMA Infant Formula brand and continued to give her son the product until she discovered that it was part of the recalled batches.
There is currently no conclusive evidence that the infant’s illness is linked to SMA Infant Formula. While the mother is requesting a full investigation into the situation so families can know what caused her son’s health condition.
Several Regulatory Agencies in many Countries, including China, are calling on Nestlé to be fully accountable to the consumers and protect their interests. Analysts believe that this event could severely impact the markets where the consumer is very cautious concerning the safety of infant formula, especially in the case of China, due to previous infant formula contamination scandals.
“Nestlé is actively working with health authorities around the world to investigate, and health agencies are still monitoring for any possible cases associated with the products being recalled,” stated Nestlé.
Edited by Ankita Deb
