How a toxin linked to baby formula exposed risks in the global food supply chain

Concerns over a toxin linked to infant formula have exposed vulnerabilities in global food supply chains and recall systems

SMA baby milk, which was subject to an alert from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland last month. Picture: Jason Alden/Bloomberg

A growing scandal around baby food production, including for SMA infant formula and Aptamil, has led to questions about how health authorities monitor the sprawling global food supply chain.

Factories in Macroom and Wexford run by Danone, and in the Netherlands by Nestlé, have been connected to concerns in Ireland about a toxin called cereulide.