European Union reinforces safety requirements for infant formula following cereulide contamination incidents

The European Commission has announced strengthened safety requirements for infant formula, follow-on formula, and foods for special medical purposes intended for infants. This action follows a cereulide contamination incident that led to numerous food alerts and recalls across Europe between December 2025 and April 2026. Member States have endorsed a proposal to set strict maximum safety limits for the cereulide toxin, produced by certain Bacillus cereus strains, which will be enforced through checks by food business operators and authorities.