Nestle chairman apologises for 'memory lapse'

The head of Nestle, the world’s biggest food company, today apologised to Italian Health Minister Francesco Storace for a “memory lapse” in a dispute over the recall of baby milk, but Storace said the apology was insufficient and threatened legal action.

Nestle Chief Executive Officer Peter Brabeck-Lemathe said in a letter released today that he had incorrectly said that a meeting between Italian authorities and Nestle had occurred in July or August, while it really took place in September.