WHO Says Infant-Formula Toxin Recall Has Reached 99 Countries and Territories

ByDental Info

The World Health Organization says infant-formula products linked to cereulide toxin have been subject to recall across 99 countries and territories, with further recalls possible.

The World Health Organization said on February 25, 2026, that batches of infant-formula products subject to recall had reached 99 countries and territories, making the incident a major cross-border consumer-safety and supply-chain event.

The recalled products involve infant formula and products containing arachidonic-acid oil contaminated with cereulide toxin, which the WHO associated with Bacillus cereus. The agency warned that additional affected batches or product categories could still be identified.

What the WHO reported

The WHO’s notice covers products distributed across multiple national markets rather than a single country’s recall. It said the recall had affected 99 countries and territories as of February 25, 2026. That figure refers to places that had received batches subject to recall; it does not mean that all infant formula sold in those jurisdictions was contaminated.

The notice also does not provide one consolidated total for the number of recalled units. Nor does the approved information establish a global case total or confirmed deaths. Those distinctions matter because the geographic reach of a recall is not the same as the number of contaminated products, illnesses or affected consumers.

The WHO said the event had disrupted international trade and supply chains. Infant nutrition products move through manufacturers, distributors, retailers and national food-safety systems, so identifying affected batches requires coordination across those actors. The recall therefore extends beyond a single company or regulator, even though the packet does not identify individual manufacturers or list every affected market.

Health response and uncertainty

Cereulide is the toxin identified in the recall notice, with the WHO linking the contamination to Bacillus cereus. The agency emphasized supportive clinical care and coordinated risk communication. It also said that no specific antidote was available.

That guidance places importance on timely information-sharing among national food-safety authorities, manufacturers and caregivers. The WHO’s warning that further batches or product categories may be identified means the scope of the recall is not necessarily final.

The available notice describes a developing international product-safety action, not a completed accounting of its health effects. It does not say that every product containing arachidonic-acid oil was recalled, and the current source packet does not establish that every country or territory has the same products, batches or exposure conditions.

What happens next

National food-safety authorities and infant-formula manufacturers are expected to continue coordinating recall actions and risk communication as more information becomes available. The WHO’s notice indicates that additional affected batches or product categories could be identified, so the February 25 figure should be treated as the reported reach of the recall at that point rather than a guaranteed final total.

The episode has been developing since December 10, 2025, according to the dates supplied with the WHO report. The approved source packet contains no newer August update and no single worldwide count of recalled units. For families, health professionals and retailers, the practical issue is the identification and handling of specific recalled batches as authorities continue to update the response.

The WHO’s report makes the central point clear: a toxin-related infant-formula recall has crossed borders on a scale that requires coordinated action by manufacturers, regulators and caregivers. The next significant change will be whether authorities identify additional batches or products, and how national systems communicate those findings.

Sources

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