Vietnam halts sales of certain infant formula from France, Australia over cereulide toxin concerns

In urgent notices issued on Tuesday, the Vietnam Food Safety Authority under the Ministry of Health said it had received warnings from the Hong Kong Center for Food Safety and the Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

The agencies reported that five batches, three from France and two from Australia, were suspected of containing cereulide, a toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus.

The affected products include Babybio Optima 1 infant formula manufactured by France’s Vitagermine, as well as Alula Gold Reflux and Alula Colic & Constipation produced by Australia’s Sanulac Nutritionals Australia Pty Ltd.

According to international recall notices, the manufacturers have withdrawn all five batches as a precautionary measure.

The French products include Babybio Optima 1 batch No. 894408, 800 grams, expiring on July 9, 2027; batch No. 900035, 800 grams, expiring on August 12, 2027; and batch No. 900932, 400 grams, expiring on August 18, 2027.

The Australian products include Alula Gold Reflux batch No. 8000003387, 900 grams, and Alula Colic & Constipation batch No. 8000003407, 850 grams, both expiring on March 17, 2027.

The food safety authority said post-market inspections found that some of the recalled products were still being advertised and sold on major e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, and Ausmart, as well as on social media platforms, particularly TikTok.

The authority has requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Department of E-Commerce and Digital Economy to coordinate with online marketplaces to immediately halt sales, remove all related product information and handle violations in accordance with the law.

The aforementioned e-commerce operators have been ordered to take down listings for the affected products and report the results to the authority by January 31, 2026.

Provincial health departments and food safety agencies have been instructed to urgently review product registration and self-declaration dossiers for the named formulas.

They are also required to coordinate with importers or distributors, where applicable, in notifying consumers to stop using the products and in carrying out recalls in line with manufacturers’ guidance.

At the same time, the Department of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has been asked to remove violating advertising and sales content on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, and deal with violations in accordance with the law.

Relevant enterprises must report to health authorities the quantities imported, sold and remaining in stock for the recalled products, along with proposed disposal measures.

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

It can cause severe food poisoning, with symptoms ranging from persistent nausea and vomiting to diarrhea and potential liver damage, and poses a particularly serious risk to infants and young children.

The health ministry has urged parents and caregivers to carefully check product names, batch numbers and expiry dates, immediately stop using any formula matching the recall list, and closely monitor children’s health, seeking medical attention if unusual symptoms appear.

The recalls come amid a broader global wave of infant formula withdrawals. Major dairy groups including Lactalis, Nestlé, and Danone have previously pulled millions of products from shelves in more than 70 countries over similar contamination concerns.

French authorities are also reported to be conducting a criminal investigation into the deaths of two infants suspected to be linked to contaminated formula.