On Thursday 29 January 2026, Luxembourg’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture and Ministry of Health and Social Security issued a statement in relation to the large-scale recall of infant formula products in the Grand Duchy.
The ministries said that since Tuesday 6 January 2026, a total of 31 infant formula products from different brands have been recalled in Luxembourg due to a contaminated ingredient. The ingredient concerned is an omega-6 fatty acid (oil rich in arachidonic acid, or ARA) contaminated with the toxin cereulide, produced by Bacillus cereus.
This toxin can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Symptoms generally appear between thirty minutes and six hours after the consumption of contaminated food. Cereulide is stable at high temperatures and is not destroyed by cooking or boiling. The affected products, which carry identified batch numbers, must therefore not be consumed under any circumstances.
The Luxembourg Veterinary and Food Administration (ALVA) invited consumers to consult the food safety portal, where information on recalled products and batches is updated regularly. The recalls are also published via LU-Alert (mobile application or website Lu-Alert.lu). People who shop abroad can follow the recalls through the corresponding national systems.
The ministries highlighted that in addition to Luxembourg, several other European states are affected by these recalls. According to the information available, it is likely that the same international producer supplied the contaminated ingredient to several infant formula manufacturers through a limited number of European distributors.
To ensure an effective exchange of information, ALVA is in close contact with the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the competent authorities of the other Member States. ALVA is also working with the companies concerned to ensure the rapid withdrawal of contaminated products, via the European rapid alert system and mandatory notifications submitted by Luxembourg companies.
According to the ministries, to date, the Luxembourg health authorities have received no confirmation of infants falling ill as a result of consuming the affected infant formula. The Health Inspection Division of the Directorate of Health remains in contact with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to monitor developments.
They reiterated that if symptoms occur, it is recommended to consult a doctor promptly and to report any possible consumption of a product concerned. Vomiting and diarrhoea can lead to rapid dehydration, which can be particularly dangerous for infants.
As a precautionary measure, ALVA has decided to launch a targeted control campaign to verify the possible presence of cereulide in other products intended for infants.
For any questions regarding reimbursement for a recalled product, consumers are invited to contact their point of sale directly.
For questions relating to sick infants, please contact the Health Inspection Division via tel: 247-85650 or email: inspecteur-sanitaire@ms.etat.lu.
To consult information on the affected infant formula, please find the list of products withdrawn from sale on the food safety portal. For further information on these products, please contact ALVA via tel: 247-82539 or email: info@alva.etat.lu.
