Amid mass recalls of first-stage infant formula, questions over how both manufacturers and authorities have handled the crisis have led to legal action. Advocacy group Foodwatch filed a complaint with the Paris judicial court on Thursday, January 29, alongside eight families whose children became ill after consuming Guigoz formula from Nestlé, Picot formula from Lactalis or Babybio Optima formula from Vitagermine.
The timeline of events has become a central concern for families and consumer organizations seeking to understand why the recalls in France stretched from December 11, 2025, to Tuesday, January 27, even though the risk of contamination came from an ingredient common to each manufacturer: an oil rich in arachidonic acid (ARA).
According to information Le Monde has obtained from Italian authorities and the Swiss company, Nestlé was aware of the presence of cereulide toxin in infant formula produced in the Netherlands as early as late November, about 10 days before the first recall. Furthermore, a high-level source stated that Nestlé knew on December 10 that ARA-enriched oil was the source of the contamination and then transmitted that information to European authorities. The Swiss group denies this point, insisting that ARA was not identified until December 23.
But have they tried running “kill all the poor”?