The Vietnam Food Administration (VFA) under the Ministry of Health announced on January 26 that immediately after receiving a warning that Aptamil Infant Formula 800g, produced by France’s Danone, contained toxins hazardous to young children’s health, it had issued an official dispatch to provincial health departments and relevant local authorities, requesting a review and inspection of the product.
VFA asked localities and units to examine the registration of product declarations or self-declarations for Aptamil Infant Formula manufactured by Danone. If the product has already been declared and is circulating in Vietnam, competent agencies must work with the declaring entity to notify distribution networks and consumers to stop using the product, while organizing a recall in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Relevant businesses are also required to clearly report the quantities imported, sold, and remaining in stock, and to propose handling measures for the batches subject to the warning. They are urged to step up public communication to prevent consumers from using the affected Aptamil Infant Formula products, thereby minimizing risks to children’s health. Local authorities must report the results of the review and handling measures to the Food Safety Authority by January 31.
At the same time, VFA has sent a notice to the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, requesting it to inform e-commerce platforms and online sales websites to coordinate with shop owners and distributors to suspend the sale of the affected milk batches, if they are circulating in Vietnam; remove information on substandard products; and handle violations in accordance with the law, if any.
According to VFA, Danone recently announced a voluntary recall of a batch of Aptamil infant formula manufactured and distributed in the United Kingdom. The reason was contamination with cereulide, a toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus, which can be harmful to health, especially for young children. The recalled product was Aptamil First Infant Formula, 800g packaging, with a use-by date before October 31.
Bacillus cereus is a group of spore-forming bacteria that is widespread in nature and throughout the food chain. According to a consolidated report by the European Food Safety Authority, Bacillus cereus accounts for approximately 16–20 percent of bacterial toxin-related food poisoning cases in Europe.
