On the evening of January 25, the Food Safety Authority (FSA) under the Ministry of Health sent an official notice to provincial and municipal health departments warning about Aptamil Infant Formula 800g after reports of a potential cereulide contamination.

The warning follows an emergency recall of a batch of Aptamil First Infant Formula in 800g packaging, with a use-by date before October 31, 2026, intended for infants and young children. The recall has been implemented in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe amid concerns over toxin contamination.

Also on January 25, the FSA sent a separate document to the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, requesting tighter supervision of food trading activities on e-commerce platforms to prevent the circulation of the affected products.

On the same day, the FSA also issued notices to provincial Departments of Health, food safety authorities and sub-departments, reiterating the warning regarding Aptamil Infant Formula 800g.

According to the FSA, Danone, a France-based multinational food group, has announced a voluntary recall of a batch of Aptamil First Infant Formula manufactured and marketed in the UK. The move was prompted by the risk of contamination with cereulide, a toxin produced by Bacillus cereus, which may cause serious harm to infants’ health.

To ensure consumer safety, the FSA has instructed localities to urgently review the registration and self-declaration status of Aptamil infant formula products manufactured by Danone. If any products have been declared or distributed in Vietnam, functional agencies must require businesses to notify distribution networks and consumers to stop using the products, and to carry out recalls in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Localities are required to report detailed figures on imported volumes, products already sold, remaining inventory and proposed handling measures for the affected batches, and submit the reports to the FSA by January 31, 2026.

For e-commerce platforms, the FSA  asked the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy to notify online marketplaces and sales websites, and to coordinate with shop owners and distributors to halt sales of the affected products if they are found in Vietnam, remove related product listings, and handle violations in accordance with the law where applicable.

Cereulide is a toxin produced by Bacillus cereus, a gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium commonly found in nature and throughout the food supply chain. The toxin can cause liver damage and is not destroyed by conventional cooking methods.

Bacillus cereus is frequently detected in soil, water and a wide range of everyday foods such as cereals, rice, flour, milk and dried spices, making it a notable concern for food safety authorities.

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