Saudi Arabia warns over infant formula after precautionary recall of Bebelac and Aptamil batches

Dubai: Saudi Food and Drug Authority has issued a warning over several infant milk products manufactured by Nutricia Danone under the Bebelac and Aptamil brands, following a voluntary notification and precautionary recall of selected batches.

The authority said the affected products may contain cereulide, a toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus, which could pose a risk to infant health.

The recall is described as a voluntary precautionary measure taken after an assessment of potential risks.

According to the regulator, exposure to the toxin may lead to symptoms appearing between 30 minutes and six hours after consumption.

These may include:

The symptoms are typically short term and generally last up to 24 hours.

The authority stressed that no illnesses linked to the recalled products have been reported in the Kingdom to date.

Consumers have been urged not to use the affected batches and to dispose of them immediately. The regulator confirmed it is coordinating with the manufacturer to withdraw the products from the market and is closely monitoring implementation of the recall.

Details of the affected products and batch numbers have been published in an accompanying table.

The authority reaffirmed its commitment to continuous food safety monitoring and compliance with approved regulations. It also called on the public to report any food-related violations through its unified contact centre.