No cereulide toxin detected in a2 infant formula in Vietnam following US recall

New Zealand-based A2 Milk Company recently recalled three batches of its a2 Platinum Premium USA iron-fortified infant formula for children aged 0-12 months in the United States after cereulide, a heat-stable toxin produced by Bacillus cereus, was detected.

The affected 31.7-ounce canned products include batch 2210269454, expiring July 15, 2026; batch 2210324609, expiring January 21, 2027; and batch 2210321712, expiring January 15, 2027.

Health experts say cereulide is a heat-stable toxin that cannot be destroyed during cooking or food preparation.

It can cause food poisoning symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and in severe cases may lead to liver damage, posing a particular risk to infants and young children.

In response, the Vietnam Food Administration under the Ministry of Health issued directives on May 4 requesting local authorities to review product self-declarations, registration records and market circulation of products under the same brand, and to strengthen inspection and monitoring of both online and offline distribution channels.

Authorities said no registration or self-declaration has been filed in Vietnam for a2 Platinum Premium USA infant formula products subject to the U.S. recall, according to provincial agencies including the Ninh Binh Food Safety Sub-Department.

Market inspections have also found no evidence of imports or trading of the recalled U.S. batches in Vietnam so far.

A distributor of a2 infant formula in Vietnam, Song Lanh Trading and Service Business Solutions Co., Ltd., based in Phu Van Ward, Ninh Binh Province, confirmed that it does not import or distribute the affected products.

The company said products currently sold in Vietnam are manufactured for the Australian and New Zealand markets and are imported through official channels with full documentation and traceability.

It also reported submitting eight samples of the products currently circulating in Vietnam to the National Institute for Food Control for testing, with results showing no detection of Bacillus cereus or cereulide toxin in any of the samples.

Authorities said the findings suggest the recalled batches in the United States are separate from the products sold in Vietnam, with no contaminated a2 products currently found to have been imported into or distributed in the Southeast Asian country.

The Vietnam Food Administration said it will continue coordinating with local agencies and relevant ministries to monitor product registration, market compliance, and e-commerce platforms to ensure food safety, particularly for infant and young children’s nutrition products.