Global body presses for mandatory infant formula warnings as recalls expose safety gap
BPNI has urged the Union health ministry and FSSAI to mandate warnings that powdered infant formula is not sterile. The demand follows global recalls and sharpens concerns over contamination risks and public disclosure.
The demand comes in the wake of recalls of powdered infant formula and infant food products by multiple brands, including Nestle across more than 130 countries since November 2025 following the detection of harmful bacteria and toxins, mainly cereulide.
Cereulide withstands cooking temperatures – stable up to 121°C – and common pasteurisation, persisting in finished products.
The recalls have also triggered judicial enquiries into infant deaths in France, renewing global scrutiny over the safety standards and communication practices surrounding infant feeding products.
BPNI, a member of the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), said intrinsic contamination of commercially manufactured infant formula has repeatedly led to severe illnesses, factory shutdowns, disrupted supplies and distress among families worldwide.
IBFAN in a flyer issued, shows India as a country among 130 countries where the recalls have been affected, but there is no such public information available by any of the companies or the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
India Today has reached out to Nestle and will update this copy when a reply is received.
IBFAN, meanwhile, warned that powdered infant formula could be contaminated during manufacturing through production environments or raw ingredients.
Harmful organisms linked to such contamination include Salmonella species, Cronobacter sakazakii, Clostridium botulinum and Bacillus cereus, all of which can cause life-threatening infections such as sepsis and meningitis, particularly among preterm, low-birth-weight and immunocompromised infants.
CALLS FOR ACTION
Marking World Breastfeeding Protection Day, BPNI meanwhile urged the Union health ministry and the FSSAI to introduce stronger safeguards and transparent risk communication systems for infant feeding products.
Among its key demands is a mandatory front-of-pack declaration stating that powdered infant milk substitutes and infant foods are not sterile.
The organisation also sought national guidance on the safe preparation, storage and handling of powdered infant formula in line with World Health Organisation recommendations.
BPNI further called for stronger surveillance and rapid response systems for contamination alerts and product recalls, along with immediate advisories to hospitals and healthcare professionals about the risks associated with powdered formula.
The organisation also raised concerns over what it described as misleading marketing practices that encourage unnecessary use of formula in hospitals and healthcare settings.
It urged stricter enforcement of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992 and its 2003 amendment.
According to NFHS-5 data cited by BPNI, 9.1 percent of babies in the breastfeeding group and 13.9 percent of babies in the non-breastfeeding group in India received infant formula.
The Indian baby food and infant formula market is estimated to be worth around Rs 205 billion.
The demand comes in the wake of recalls of powdered infant formula and infant food products by multiple brands, including Nestle across more than 130 countries since November 2025 following the detection of harmful bacteria and toxins, mainly cereulide.
Cereulide withstands cooking temperatures – stable up to 121°C – and common pasteurisation, persisting in finished products.
The recalls have also triggered judicial enquiries into infant deaths in France, renewing global scrutiny over the safety standards and communication practices surrounding infant feeding products.
BPNI, a member of the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), said intrinsic contamination of commercially manufactured infant formula has repeatedly led to severe illnesses, factory shutdowns, disrupted supplies and distress among families worldwide.
IBFAN in a flyer issued, shows India as a country among 130 countries where the recalls have been affected, but there is no such public information available by any of the companies or the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
India Today has reached out to Nestle and will update this copy when a reply is received.
IBFAN, meanwhile, warned that powdered infant formula could be contaminated during manufacturing through production environments or raw ingredients.
Harmful organisms linked to such contamination include Salmonella species, Cronobacter sakazakii, Clostridium botulinum and Bacillus cereus, all of which can cause life-threatening infections such as sepsis and meningitis, particularly among preterm, low-birth-weight and immunocompromised infants.
CALLS FOR ACTION
Marking World Breastfeeding Protection Day, BPNI meanwhile urged the Union health ministry and the FSSAI to introduce stronger safeguards and transparent risk communication systems for infant feeding products.
Among its key demands is a mandatory front-of-pack declaration stating that powdered infant milk substitutes and infant foods are not sterile.
The organisation also sought national guidance on the safe preparation, storage and handling of powdered infant formula in line with World Health Organisation recommendations.
BPNI further called for stronger surveillance and rapid response systems for contamination alerts and product recalls, along with immediate advisories to hospitals and healthcare professionals about the risks associated with powdered formula.
The organisation also raised concerns over what it described as misleading marketing practices that encourage unnecessary use of formula in hospitals and healthcare settings.
It urged stricter enforcement of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992 and its 2003 amendment.
According to NFHS-5 data cited by BPNI, 9.1 percent of babies in the breastfeeding group and 13.9 percent of babies in the non-breastfeeding group in India received infant formula.
The Indian baby food and infant formula market is estimated to be worth around Rs 205 billion.
