UAE withdraws 'Aptamil Advance 1 POF' infant formula

The UAE has withdrawn several batches of the 'Aptamil Advance 1 POF' baby formula due to concerns that it may contain substances harmful to infants.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) specified that the recalled batch contains an expiry date of November 8, 2026, urging consumers to dispose of the product if it contains an identical date. 

The product, manufactured by Nutricia Middle East (Danone), is intended for infants to use from birth until six months of age. 

Local regulatory authorities are continuing inspection and monitoring procedures to ensure the complete withdrawal of the affected batch after finding traces of the bacterium "Bacillus cereus" in its product inputs. 

This bacterium has the potential to produce the "cereulide" toxin, which could cause food poisoning and digestive symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

All relevant batches in the UAE have been held in the distributors’ warehouses in coordination with Nutricia Middle East, with operations to remove any remaining quantities from the markets in efforts to ensure that all the affected products are recalled from all points of sale, including online stores. 

The withdrawal follows Danone's announcement to recall specific batches of the infant formula and follow-on milk distributed in the United Kingdom and European Union countries, according to the Irish Food Safety Authority (FSAI).

The UAE had also recently recalled several infant products from Nestlé due to identical concerns of toxin-forming bacteria. 

The #MOCCAEUAE and the #EmiratesDrugEstablishment have announced that major retail outlets across the UAE are free from a specific batch of “Aptamil Advance 1 POF” infant formula, manufactured by Nutricia Middle East (Danone), the product intended for infants from birth up to six… pic.twitter.com/iHrV90CokA

— ‎وزارة التغير المناخي والبيئة (@MoCCaEUAE) January 27, 2026