Manila: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday advised the public to immediately stop using and carefully check specific batches of select NAN OPTIPRO and NANKID OPTIPRO products that are being voluntarily recalled by Nestl© Philippines Inc. as a precautionary measure to protect consumers.
According to Philippines News Agency, Nestl© Philippines initiated the voluntary recall after very low levels of cereulide were detected in an arachidonic acid-rich (ARA) oil raw material used in the affected products. Cereulide is a toxin produced by the microorganism Bacillus cereus and may cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pain.
The FDA stated that there have been no reported illnesses or adverse events linked to the recalled products so far. 'The FDA supports this voluntary recall and has undertaken the corresponding regulatory actions to facilitate the prompt withdrawal of the affected products from the market,' the agency said.
The recall applies only to specific products, batch numbers, and packaging sizes. These include various batches of NAN OPTIPRO 0-6 months Infant Formula 5HMO, NAN OPTIPRO 6-12 months Follow-On 5HMO, NAN OPTI 1-3 years Milk Supplement 5HMO, and NANKID OPTIPRO 3+ years 5HMO. The FDA clarified that no other NAN OPTIPRO and NANKID OPTIPRO products are affected by the recall.
For consumer safety, the FDA advised parents and caregivers with health concerns about their children to seek medical consultation from licensed health professionals. Consumers were urged to verify product batch numbers by visiting Nestl© Philippines' dedicated recall page.
The FDA also called on local government units and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the affected products are not sold, distributed, or made available in their areas of jurisdiction, and requested the immediate and wide dissemination of the advisory. Consumers who purchased products from the affected batches were instructed to discontinue use immediately and contact the company through its official communication channels.
