A few days after the publication of the new safety thresholds established by EFSA, Nestlé has issued a further precautionary recall of powdered milk for infants. The provision concerns a batch of Nidina Optipro 1 and represents yet another chapter in a health emergency that has lasted for weeks and has involved dozens of countries around the world.
What happened
For those who haven’t followed the story from the beginning, let’s do a quick summary. Starting from December 2025, massive recalls of infant formula began in over sixty countries due to possible contamination by cereulide, a toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus which causes vomiting, diarrhea and can lead to dehydration in newborns.
The problem mainly concerned Nestlé products (Guigoz, Nidal, SMA, Beba, Alfamino, Nan, Nidina brands), but also extended to other large manufacturers such as Lactalis and Danone. The source of the contamination appears to be a Chinese supplier of ARA oil (arachidonic acid), an ingredient used in premium formulas to reproduce the composition of breast milk, which simultaneously supplied multiple multinationals.
The situation worsened in France, where two newborns who had consumed Guigoz brand milk died. The judicial authorities have opened two investigations to verify whether there is a causal link between the consumption of contaminated milk and the deaths, although at the moment this link has not been demonstrated with certainty.
The new safety thresholds for cereulide
Faced with the emergency, the European Commission asked EFSA for an urgent scientific opinion to establish precise limits beyond which products must be withdrawn. On February 2, 2026, the European Food Safety Authority finally published its conclusions, setting official thresholds for cereulide in infant formula for the first time:
The new Nestlé recall
And it is precisely on the basis of these new parameters that Nestlé has ordered the further withdrawal. In a statement the company explained that the measure derives from “from the recent evolution of the analysis methodologies for the identification of cereulide within the reconstituted (liquid) product, communicated on 2 February 2026 by the European authorities“.
Essentially, with the introduction of the new EFSA thresholds and more precise analytical methods to detect the toxin in ready-to-drink milk, Nestlé has re-examined its products and identified another batch that may exceed the newly established safety limits.
The product affected is Nidina Optipro 1 powdered milk, sold in 800 gram packs. The recalled lot is number 53410346AG and has a minimum shelf life of 31 December 2027.
The milk was produced by Nestlé Nederland BV at its plant in Nunspeet, the Netherlands, the same plant involved in the previous recalls.
As we already said, this is not the first recall that Nestlé has carried out in Italy. At the beginning of January, the company had already withdrawn numerous batches of different lines from the market: Nan Supremepro (in versions 1, 2 and 3), Nan Pre, Prenan Post, Nan Expert Pro SL, Nidina 1 and Nidina Optipro 1. Alfamino, the milk formulated for infants allergic to cow’s milk or with multiple food allergies, had also been withdrawn.
Even before that, already in December, Nestlé had recalled two batches of Nidina Optipro 1, marking the beginning of what would become an alert of global dimensions.
The long sequence of recalls has raised criticism from consumer associations. Foodwatch, in particular, accused Nestlé of having handled the crisis in a non-transparent way, with fragmented communications and delays. According to the organisation, the multinational was alerted by its supplier as early as December, but the public warnings only started weeks later.
What parents should do
Nestlé recommends as a precaution not to use the product with the batch number and expiry date indicated above when preparing the bottle. Anyone who has packs of Nidina Optipro 1 at home must immediately check the batch on the package.
Consumers in possession of the recalled product can return it to the store where it was purchased for a refund or replacement. For further information, the Nestlé consumer service is active on the toll-free number 800 434434, reachable every day from 8am to 10pm.
As recommended by EFSA and ECDC in recent weeks, parents who notice worrying symptoms in children who have consumed milk from the recalled batches – persistent vomiting, diarrhoea, signs of dehydration – should immediately contact their pediatrician or, in more serious cases, go to the emergency room. Gastrointestinal disorders in very young infants can escalate rapidly, regardless of the cause.
