Nestlé faces lawsuit in Austria over recalled baby formula contaminated with bacterial toxin

In early 2026 Nestlé issued a worldwide recall of its BEBA‑Pre infant formula after detecting the bacterial toxin Cereulid, produced by Bacillus cereus, in a production batch. The toxin can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms. A family from Dornbirn, Austria, whose infant suffered weeks of vomiting, breathing difficulty and weight loss after being fed the affected formula from late November to December 2025, filed a product‑liability lawsuit against Nestlé. The parents seek compensation for pain, suffering and care costs, citing Austria’s Produkthaftungsgesetz. Nestlé reported that measured toxin levels were very low and that the contamination stemmed from a technical defect at a supplier in December 2025. The recall began in January 2026 and was expanded in February to additional batches. The case is described as the first Austrian civil proceeding linked to the 2026 infant‑formula recall, and officials note that other manufacturers were also impacted.