Hong Kong authorities have discovered traces of a toxin in four batches of baby milk formula products previously recalled by Nestlé.
In a statement issued on Saturday evening, the Centre for Food Safety said the Swiss food giant had recalled about 96,000 tins of affected products due to the possible presence of cereulide, a toxin produced by Bacillus cereus, found in the ingredients.
Nestlé had said the recall was a precautionary measure taken after it was discovered that an ingredient from a supplier used in the affected batches could contain a heat-stable toxin derived from the Bacillus cereus bacterium.
The Centre for Food Safety said its follow-up investigation found that five samples from four batches – among the 22 earlier announced and recalled – tested positive for cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus, at levels ranging from 0.8 to 8.6 micrograms per kilogram of food.
The affected products were: ILLUMA ATWO 1 (800g) with the batch number 51640017V1 and a best-before date of June 13, 2027; ILLUMA LUXA 2 (800g) with the batch number 51400017C1 and a best-before date of May 20, 2027; NAN INFINIPRO3 7HMO (800g) with the batch number 52770017V2 and a best-before date of October 4, 2027; and ILLUMA LUXA 1 (800g) with the batch number 51550017C3 and a best-before date of June 4, 2027.
