Vienna Symons experienced profound worry as her son, Finley, became increasingly unwell. Despite previously being a healthy child with a good appetite, Finley suddenly struggled to keep food down, suffering from constant vomiting and diarrhoea after every feed. Over several weeks, he lost interest in feeding, and Mrs. Symons, a 28-year-old nurse from Hampshire, was baffled by his mysterious illness, initially suspecting a virus, infection, or something he might have eaten.

Unbeknownst to her, the cause was the baby formula she was feeding him, manufactured by Nestlé-owned SMA. A scandal surrounding contaminated milk later revealed that the formula, intended to nourish Finley, was in fact poisoning him with harmful toxins. Mrs. Symons is now among a growing number of angry parents across the UK, believed to be dozens, whose babies have been affected, demanding accountability from the manufacturers for what she describes as a 'dangerous betrayal'.

Finley's health deteriorated significantly towards the end of October, after Mrs. Symons switched from Cow & Gate to SMA formula in July, seeking to supplement breastfeeding during a heatwave. His symptoms included reduced feeding, frequent vomiting, severe diarrhoea, agitation, and inability to sleep. One night, his condition was so alarming that his parents, Vienna and George Symons, were advised by the 111 medical helpline to take him to A&E. At the hospital, doctors were mystified by Finley's symptoms, giving a vague diagnosis of gastroenteritis and advising a reduction in feeds.

By a fortunate coincidence, Mrs. Symons decided to stop formula feeding altogether, returning solely to breast milk. Almost immediately after discontinuing the formula, Finley's symptoms resolved: he stopped vomiting, his diarrhoea ceased, and his appetite returned. The connection between the formula and his illness became chillingly clear last month when news broke about the recall of potentially contaminated products. Mrs. Symons found a half-empty tin of SMA formula in her cupboard, and upon checking the label, confirmed it was from one of the tainted batches.

A major health alert had been triggered last month when food giants Nestlé and Danone announced a precautionary recall of several batches of SMA Infant Formula, Follow-On Formula, and Aptamil Formula products in the UK. The products were potentially contaminated with cereulide, a toxin believed to have originated from an ingredient supplier in China. Cereulide causes rapid onset symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps, typically within 15 minutes to six hours, and has been linked to severe health issues including liver or kidney injury, muscle breakdown, and multi-organ failure in rare cases, with young children and the immuno-compromised being at highest risk. Earlier this month, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced 36 babies had suffered suspected poisoning from formula milk, with Finley's case highlighting that the problem began months before the alert was raised.

Mrs. Symons expressed deep frustration with SMA's response to her concerns. After contacting their customer service, SMA, owned by Nestlé, offered a generic apology for 'any inconvenience this may have caused' but refused to provide any advice or further information about potential long-term side-effects, stating, 'We have no further information we can share.' Mrs. Symons emphasized the vital need for a proper investigation, demanding that either the supplier or SMA be prosecuted or held accountable for failing to conduct proper quality checks. Despite Finley's apparent full recovery and vibrant personality, Mrs. Symons remains concerned about potential long-term health implications and has requested follow-up tests from her GP to ensure he faces no future health issues from the ingested toxin. A spokesperson for Nestlé stated their teams would work closely with families reporting concerns, adding that UKHSA advises symptoms generally resolve within 24 hours of last consumption.

Consumers are urged to check their baby formula products against the comprehensive list of recalled items:

Danone Recalls (due to possible cereulide toxin contamination):

• Aptamil First Infant Formula (800g): Batch codes 31-10-2026, Best before October 31 2026
• Cow & Gate 1 First Infant Milk (800g): All dates from June 11 2026 to January 25 2027
• Aptamil 2 Follow On Milk Pre-measured Tabs: All dates up to and including January 17 2027
• Aptamil 2 Follow On Milk Big Pack (1.2kg): All dates from July 23 2026 to January 13 2027
• Aptamil 2 Follow On Milk (700g): All dates from August 5 2026 to February 20 2027
• Aptamil 2 Follow On Milk (800g): All dates from June 18 2026 to January 4 2027
• Aptamil 1 First Infant Milk Pre-measured Tabs: All dates up to and including January 17 2027
• Aptamil 1 First Infant Milk Hungry (800g): All dates from July 4 2026 to February 24 2027
• Aptamil 1 First Infant Milk Big Pack (1.2kg): All dates from August 14 2026 to December 25 2026
• Cow & Gate Anti-Reflux (800g): All dates from June 7 2026 to February 18 2027
• Cow & Gate 1 First Infant Milk (600g): All dates from August 12 2026 to January 16 2027
• Cow & Gate 1 First Infant Milk Hungry (800g): All dates from July 31 2026 to February 23 2027
• Aptamil 1 First Infant Milk (800g): All dates from July 9 2026 to December 4 2026
• Aptamil 1 First Infant Milk (700g): All dates from August 22 2026 to November 26 2026
• Cow & Gate 1 First Infant Milk (700g): All dates from July 31 2026 to January 31 2027
• Cow & Gate 1 First Infant Milk Big Pack (1.2kg): All dates from July 11 2026 to February 20 2027

Nestlé Recalls (SMA infant and follow-on formula products due to possible cereulide toxin presence):

• SMA Advanced First Infant Milk (800g): Batch codes 51450742F1, 52319722BA, 52819722AA (Best before: May 2027)
• SMA Advanced Follow-On Milk (800g): Batch codes 51240742F2, 51890742F2, 52879722AA (Best before: May 2027, July 2027)
• SMA Anti Reflux (800g): Batch codes 51570742F3, 52099722BA, 52099722BB, 52739722BA (Best before: June 2027, April 2027)
• SMA ALFAMINO (400g): Multiple batch codes and best before dates ranging from April 2027 to November 2027
• SMA First Infant Milk (800g): Multiple batch codes including NEW: 53390346AB (Best before: April 2027, May 2027, June 2027, October 2027, NEW: December 2027)
• SMA First Infant Milk (400g): Batch codes 51350346AA, 52750346AD (Best before: May 2027, October 2027)
• SMA First Infant Milk (1.2kg): Batch codes 51340346BE, 52740346BA, 52750346BA (Best before: November 2026, April 2027)
• SMA LITTLE STEPS First Infant Milk (800g): Batch codes 51220346AD, 51540346AC, 52740346AD (Best before: May 2027, June 2027, October 2027)
• SMA Comfort (800g): Batch codes 52620742F3, 51240742F3, 51439722BA, 51479722BA, 51769722BA, 52049722AA (Best before: September 2027, May 2027)
• SMA First Infant Milk (200ml): Multiple batch codes (Best before: October 2026, November 2026)
• SMA First Infant Milk (70ml): Batch code: 53170742B1 (Best before: November 2026)
• SMA Lactose Free (400g): Multiple batch codes (Best before: April 2027, May 2027, August 2027)