French parliamentary report finds contaminated infant formula remained on market for a year
A French parliamentary report released Tuesday found that contaminated infant formula stayed on the market for a year, co-rapporteur Mathilde Hignet said Wednesday. The report cites failures by both the state and manufacturers, and follows revelations that Nestlé conducted silent recalls of products tainted with cereulide toxin between late November 2025 and early January 2026. Hignet accused Nestlé of not immediately alerting authorities and called for stricter controls on infant formula.
A French parliamentary report made public Tuesday found that contaminated infant formula remained on the market for a year, co-rapporteur Mathilde Hignet said Wednesday.
"There is contaminated milk that remained on the market for a year," Hignet, a La France Insoumise deputy for Ille-et-Vilaine and co-rapporteur of the flash mission on contaminated infant formula, told franceinfo on May 20. The report points to "lacunes" (failures) by both the state and manufacturers.
Radio France's investigation unit revealed that Nestlé conducted "silent" recalls of products contaminated with cereulide toxin between late November 2025 and early January 2026. French authorities have been notified of legal action against Nestlé for delaying alerting authorities. "Nestlé did not immediately warn the authorities," Hignet said. "It first warned the manufacturers."
Cereulide develops in an enriched oil added to milk powder. The oil is produced in China by Cabio Biotech and sold to five factories in France, including those of Nestlé, Danone, and Lactalis. Hignet criticized France's dependence on that raw material.
"We trust multinationals too much, who have economic interests to the detriment of our children's health," Hignet said. She called for stricter controls on infant formula, arguing that "on infant milk, there must be a much stronger requirement" in inspections, and lamented "the constrained means" of the bodies responsible for those checks.