A simple can of powdered milk can quickly become a source of anxiety. With the voluntary recall of Nestlé infant milks in around sixty countries for suspected contamination by the toxin
cereulidemany parents seek to understand what is hidden behind this name.
The leader tried to reassure: “I would like to reassure you that no cases of illness linked to the affected products have been confirmed so far“, explained Philipp Navratil, general director of the group, quoted by 20 Minutes, recalling that it was a “precautionary” measure.
Cereulide and Nestlé infant milk: why a massive recall
The recall concerns Guigoz, Nidal or Alfamino infant powders, made from dry ingredients. In the production chain, a supplier has been identified as a possible source
Bacillus cereusa soil bacterium sometimes capable of producing the toxin cereulide.
On its website, Nestlé recalls that “Most variants (of Bacillus cereus) pose no food safety risk, but some can produce toxins that can cause digestive upset“The problem is not the presence of the bacteria, but the fact that it has manufactured, upstream, a stable toxin in an ingredient.
Cereulide: a rare but tenacious emetic toxin
There cereulide is one of the so-called emetic toxins: it mainly triggers nausea and vomiting. The National Health Security Agency specifies that the strains of
Bacillus cereus capable of producing it.represent a minority, generally 1% or less of isolates from food or the environment, but represent 15% of strains isolated from foods that have caused gastrointestinal distress“.
Laboratory work describes cereulide as a cytotoxin which attacks mitochondria, these “energy plants” of cells, by disrupting the exchange of potassium ions and activating so-called 5-HT receptors linked to the vagus nerve, which triggers vomiting. The molecule is resistant to heat and common chemical processes, making it difficult to eliminate.
What symptoms after ingestion of cereulide in infants
If a food containing a toxin is ingested, the first signs appear quickly: from less than an hour to six hours after the meal. Nausea, sometimes repeated vomiting, abdominal pain and sometimes diarrhea occur, then generally disappear in less than twenty-four hours. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, these infections “are relatively infrequent“.
People with fragile immune systems, the elderly, pregnant women and especially newborns react more strongly, with a risk of rapid dehydration as soon as vomiting starts. Serious damage, including septicemia or fulminant hepatitis, has been described in premature babies or very fragile patients, even if, as ANSES emphasizes, “the link with food consumption is not demonstrated“. To limit this risk, the agency recommends washing vegetables, cooling and then refrigerating cooked or rehydrated dishes in less than two hours, and avoiding leaving foods rich in water at room temperature for a long time.