When the news broke recently about batches of contaminated infant formula being recalled, parents and health care professionals alike were understandably deeply concerned.
The trust individuals place in manufacturers and ingredient suppliers of infant formulas been tested as a result of the presence of a harmful toxin called cereulide in some formula batches. This can make the milk unsafe for babies to drink and cause diarrhoea and vomiting.1
After the infant formula recalls in January and February 2026, the British Food Standards Agency (FSA) reported that the toxin was linked to an ingredient called arachidonic acid (ARA) oil. ARA is often added to formula along with docosahexaenioic acid (DHA), to mimic human milk composition, and to help support normal infant development, including neurological development.
The ARA ingredient was potentially contaminated with the heat-stable toxin called cereulide which is produced by some strains of Bacillus cereus bacteria. At high exposure levels, the toxin can cause vomiting and abdominal cramps.
A third-party supplier, which infant formula companies are now no longer using, is the source of the contamination according to the FSA. However, measurements performed by Austrian authorities show no detectable contamination in most tested infant formula samples, and if found in infant formula the concentrations were generally below the levels considered not to induce any health risks.
However, the recalls have raised questions in parents’ and caregivers’ minds about the ingredients in baby milk and there is more focus on some of the ingredients used as a result. There are also questions about whether ARA and DHA are even necessary in infant formula.
What’s in a bottle?
Fundamentally, infant formula is created to substitute for breast milk – which is considered the gold standard in what babies need nutritionally. Breast milk contains the ingredients babies need to thrive, grow and develop and infant milk is formulated to replicate breast milk as much as possible.
ARA and DHA are fatty acids that always occur naturally in breast milk, typically with ARA levels exceeding DHA. They also occur in foods such as eggs and fish. Both are classified as long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids that play an important role in our bodies over the lifespan. For babies, they are both essential for brain and eye development.2
Adding these ingredients to formula milk at appropriate levels – and with ARA at least equal to DHA – ensures it more closely resembles breast milk in terms of composition and this has been clinically shown to help close the gap in reported outcomes between formula-fed and breast-milk-fed babies.3 Studies indicate benefits such as support for brain and eye development and supporting the immune system. Some data suggest that ARA may be important for reducing the risk of asthma in some populations of breastfed infants.2
The intake guidelines
Furthermore, scientific experts have established “adequate intakes” for both ARA and DHA during infancy. For example, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that infants need 100 mg DHA/day and 140 mg ARA/day until six months of age. Formula fed infants will not achieve these intakes unless the formula contains adequate levels of DHA and ARA.
Adding optional ingredients such as ARA and DHA to formula are beneficial for the infant – although demonstrated by the contamination and recalls, safety is paramount as adding these ingredients introduces extra steps to the process which need rigorous monitoring.
What is the real-world impact of the recalls? Some experts are concerned that parents may start to avoid specific ingredients when they see them listed on the formula packet, but this is unfounded according to experts.
“The notion that optional ingredients like ARA per se create a danger for babies is unfounded,” says Professor Berthold Koletzko, Else Kröner-Senior Professor of Paediatrics at the Dr von Hauner Children’s Hospital, LMU University of Munich, and a world-leading expert in paediatric nutrition, metabolism and early-life health.
“Infants have a need for pre-formed ARA and DHA in their diets, and infants that are fed formulas containing appropriate levels and ratios of ARA and DHA exhibit a number of developmental benefits (especially cognitive and visual) that bring them closer to breastfed infants.”
Safety and transparency first
Most experts recommend, and most regulatory standards require, that when DHA is added to formulas for infants that ARA be added at least to the same level. Indeed, many experts warn against DHA addition without ARA because this deviates from breast milk composition and there are not enough data to demonstrate that DHA without ARA is safe.
Parents and caregivers should be assured that the inclusion of ARA and DHA in infant formula at breast milk levels, with ARA at least equalling DHA, and with adherence to regulatory standards on safety, is based on strong science and is recommended by experts in paediatric nutrition.
What remains however is the importance that suppliers emphasise traceability, microbial fermentation control and rigorous testing and monitoring to avoid the kind of supply chain failures that cause concern for consumers and health professionals. When it comes to baby, trust and transparency matter more than ever.
References
- Food Standards Agency. Infant formula recalls.
- Koletzko, B.; et al. Should formula for infants provide arachidonic acid along with DHA? A position paper of the European Academy of Paediatrics and the Child Health Foundation. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020 Jan 1;111(1):10-16.
- Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on the Evaluation of the Addition of Ingredients New to Infant Formula. Infant Formula: Evaluating the Safety of New Ingredients. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2004. 3, Comparing Infant Formulas with Human Milk.
