UK Expands Aptamil and Cow & Gate Infant-Formula Recall Over Contamination Risk
The UK Food Standards Agency has expanded an infant-formula recall to include additional Aptamil 700g packs and best-before dates through 26 November 2026, along with Cow & Gate 1 First Infant Milk.
The UK Food Standards Agency has expanded a recall of Aptamil and Cow & Gate infant formula, adding Aptamil 700g packs with best-before dates running through 26 November 2026. The update concerns a contamination risk and applies to specified products distributed in the United Kingdom.
The revised notice, issued on 10 July 2026, extends an Aptamil First Infant Formula recall that was first issued on 23 January 2026. It lists Aptamil 1 First Infant Milk in 700g packs with best-before dates from 22 August 2026 through 26 November 2026. Cow & Gate 1 First Infant Milk is also included in the updated notice.
For households with formula at home, the practical issue is whether a particular container matches the recall details. Consumers should check three identifiers against the Food Standards Agency notice: the product name, the pack size and the best-before date.
What consumers should check
The Aptamil listing is specific to Aptamil 1 First Infant Milk in a 700g pack. The affected best-before dates listed in the update begin on 22 August 2026 and end on 26 November 2026. A container should therefore be compared with the full listing rather than assessed only by its brand name.
The same principle applies to Cow & Gate. The updated notice names Cow & Gate 1 First Infant Milk, but consumers should use the product and date information in the notice to determine whether an individual container is covered.
Anyone who finds a matching product should stop using it and follow the instructions in the recall notice. Checking the packaging before preparing formula is especially important for parents, caregivers and other people responsible for feeding infants.
The action is a product-safety recall, not a general withdrawal of every Aptamil or Cow & Gate product. The presence of either brand name alone does not establish that a product is affected. The relevant combination is the listed product, the specified pack size where given and the applicable best-before information.
Why the update matters
Infant formula can be stored in homes and other places where babies are fed, meaning a change to a recall notice may require consumers to recheck products they previously considered safe to use. Extending the listed dates broadens the range of packaging that households need to examine.
The update also shows why recall notices rely on precise product identifiers. Aptamil products may be sold in multiple formats, and the notice does not describe the action as applying to the entire brand. For the Aptamil item named in the update, the 700g pack size and the best-before date range are central to identifying a potentially affected container.
The notice also distinguishes the Cow & Gate product from the Aptamil listing. Consumers with both brands should check each container separately rather than assuming that the same product or date details apply to both.
The Food Standards Agency notice does not state how many units were distributed or report confirmed illnesses connected to the products. It identifies the recall, the products covered and the packaging details consumers need in order to compare their supplies with the official notice.
Where to check the recall
The Food Standards Agency’s updated recall notice is the primary reference for the affected Aptamil and Cow & Gate products. The UK government’s product-safety database also provides a route for checking consumer recalls and related corrective actions.
The action described applies to products distributed in the United Kingdom. Consumers should follow the UK notice and its instructions instead of assuming that every product sold under either brand, in the UK or elsewhere, is affected. The immediate next step for households is to inspect relevant containers before use and compare them with the updated product, pack-size and best-before information.
Sources
- Update 13 – Several brands recall products, Food Standards Agency
- Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls, Office for Product Safety and Standards
