Austria investigates Danone and Nestlé over contaminated baby formula

Austrian prosecutors have opened investigations into Danone and Nestlé over baby formula allegedly contaminated with the toxin Cereulide, ORF reported. The Innsbruck public prosecutor’s office is investigating Danone, while prosecutors in Vienna are investigating Nestlé for allegedly placing food harmful to health on the market through negligence.

The investigations followed a criminal complaint filed by the consumer organisation Foodwatch against both companies. Authorities confirmed the proceedings.

For weeks, the parents of a Tyrolean baby were unsure why their child had suffered repeated vomiting and diarrhoea in autumn 2025. Doctors at Innsbruck University Hospital initially found no cause. The family eventually suspected Danone formula.

According to the report, Danone examined the relevant package and told the family there was no reason for concern. The parents therefore continued giving the formula to their baby, but the symptoms persisted.

Foodwatch said Danone carried out a so-called silent recall in January, removing products from shops without informing the public. A public recall followed at the end of January, warning that baby formula contaminated with Cereulide had also been sold in Austria.

The Tyrolean family then filed a criminal complaint, saying they had been misled and harmed. The Innsbruck public prosecutor’s office subsequently opened its investigation.

In France, where prosecutors are also investigating following a Foodwatch complaint, research by Radio France, RTS and RTBF reportedly uncovered further details. According to the report, prosecutors confirmed a specific link between the consumption of contaminated infant formula and the detection of toxins in the stool of a 24-day-old infant. The finding could assist the investigation, as the companies have so far denied any connection.

Foodwatch said about 90 people had contacted the organisation since the scandal began, reporting a timing link between feeding potentially contaminated formula and the onset of symptoms. Markus Linkeseder of Foodwatch said medical personnel in Austria had been informed of the contamination very late, meaning that few sick infants were tested for possible Cereulide poisoning and that stool samples, when taken, were collected too late.

Several manufacturers recalled infant formula in more than 60 countries during the winter because of possible Cereulide contamination. The toxin can cause diarrhoea and vomiting. Cases under investigation have also been reported in Belgium, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Spain and the United Kingdom.