Health

Europe to Decide How Much Toxin in Baby Formula Is Too Much

Containers of infant formula on Jan. 21 in Poitiers, France. Several brands are currently withdrawing certain boxes contaminated with bacteria from sale. — Containers of infant formula on Jan. 21 in Poitiers, France. Several brands are currently withdrawing certain boxes contaminated with bacteria from sale.
Photographer: Jean-Francois Fort/AFP/Getty Images

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By Jillian Deutsch

January 28, 2026 at 5:02 PM UTC

Europe’s food safety regulator will publish advice on what is an acceptable level of the toxin currently at the heart of one of the biggest infant formula recalls in history.

The European Food Safety Authority will establish an “acute reference dose” for cereulide in infant formula, effectively setting a threshold level which if exceeded would trigger a recall, the group announced on Wednesday, confirming an earlier Bloomberg News report. It will also provide information on typical and higher-end consumption levels of infant formula.