Nestle formula recall rattles Malaysian parents: ‘who are we going to trust?’

When Nestle began pulling its baby milk formula off shelves last month over fears of contamination with a dangerous toxin, Malaysian father Mukhriz Hazim felt his trust in the world’s largest food company begin to falter.\nSince news of the contamination scare first emerged primarily in Europe in December before spreading across the world, the 33-year-old father has taken to scouring the ingredients list on every formula box with almost forensic precision.\n“If big nutrition companies are selling products that are laden with recalls and possible contaminants, who are we, as parents, going to trust?” asked Mukhriz, whose daughter is two months old.\nNestle announced last week that several of its formula brands – including BEBA, SMA and Alfamino – were being recalled as a precaution after traces of cereulide, a bacterial toxin capable of causing severe sickness, were found in a supplier’s oil.\n\nThe Swiss food giant stressed that no illnesses had been reported to date, describing the recall as a proactive measure while investigations were under way.\n“The presence of cereulide in food oils is very uncommon,” it said in a statement, adding that it was working with the supplier who was carrying out its own investigation.\nNestle Malaysia confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that none of its products sold locally had been affected and said that its baby milk formulas were safe for consumption. Not everyone felt reassured, however.\nNadhirah Badardin said she would not be taking any chances with the safety of her one-year-old son.\n“Peace of mind” could only come from doing her own “due diligence”, the 33-year-old Malaysian mother told This Week in Asia, adding that “as a parent, my ultimate tool is research.”\n\nEven precautionary recalls can quickly cause customers to lose confidence in a region that has been rocked by past contamination scandals, according to public health experts.\n“Companies must ensure ingredient screening or testing meets safety and international standards,” said Dr Khoo Yoong Khean, an assistant professor at the Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School.\n“Continuous and proactive communication with the public and other stakeholders” was essential, he added.\nHealth warnings related to the formula recall have been issued by dozens of governments, from Europe and Australia to Brazil, South Africa, Hong Kong and Singapore.\nRegulators in Singapore have reported no confirmed cases, but said in a statement that affected products would be banned from sale while an investigation was carried out and hospitals were monitored for instances of possible cereulide poisoning.\nIn Vietnam, regulators have halted sales and online listings of Nestle’s BEBA and Alfamino products, while Hong Kong’s health authorities have recalled more than 20 batches of Nestle formula produced in Germany and withdrawn two brands from sale as a precaution.\nWhat is cereulide?\nCereulide is a toxin produced by certain strains of Bacillus cereus – a bacterium commonly found in the environment and notoriously resistant to heat, acid and typical food-processing methods.\nExposure is especially dangerous for children as their immune and digestive systems are still developing, according to Khoo.\n“Their smaller body size means even small amounts of toxins can have a stronger effect,” he said.\nParents are advised to stop using the recalled products immediately and monitor their children for symptoms such as sudden vomiting, diarrhoea, poor feeding or lethargy.\nI think I’ll be avoiding Nestle products for my child until I’m absolutely certain\nNadhirah Badardin, Malaysian mother\nWhile some public health experts have warned of heightened risks, others say Nestle’s rapid global response shows the food safety system worked as intended.\nModern food supply chains were incredibly complex, said Dr Khor Swee Kheng, CEO of Angsana Health and a specialist in health systems, adding that “high international standards must cascade across the board via trade agreements, multilateral treaties, industry self-regulation, consumer group action and domestic policies”.\nNestle has said it expects minimal commercial impact from the recall.\nRebuilding trust among parents may be a challenge, however.\n“I think I’ll be avoiding Nestle products for my child until I’m absolutely certain and confident that they’re taking proper steps to ensure that this never happens again,” Malaysian mother Nadhirah said.\n