Ecuador Pulls 34 Lots of Infant Formula From Shelves Over Cereulide Contamination Risk

Ecuador's health regulatory agency ARCSA (Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria — the agency that oversees food and drug safety) ordered the preventive withdrawal of 34 lots of infant formula from the market following an international contamination alert.

What Was Recalled

• Brand: Alula Gold Premium infant formula
• Lots affected: 34 specific production lots
• Manufacturer: The formula is produced by Lactalis, the French dairy multinational, which also initiated voluntary recalls in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru
• Where sold: Available through pharmacies and retail chains nationwide

The Contaminant: Cereulide

The alert centres on the possible presence of cereulide, a heat-stable toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus. In significant concentrations, cereulide causes:

• Nausea and vomiting (within 1-5 hours of ingestion)
• Abdominal cramping
• Diarrhea

The toxin is particularly concerning in infant formula because babies are more vulnerable to dehydration from gastrointestinal illness.

The international alert originated from a French infant nutrition professional association, which identified the potential contamination risk. Additional laboratory analyses by Lactalis detected cereulide in prepared samples of the product.

No Cases Reported in Ecuador

ARCSA emphasized that the withdrawal is precautionary — no adverse health effects have been reported in Ecuador. The agency acted under the principle of sanitary precaution, meaning they pulled the product before any harm occurred rather than waiting for confirmed illness.

This is part of a broader global recall that also affected markets in Europe, where the same contamination was flagged by the European Food Safety Authority.

What This Means for Expats

If you have an infant on formula:

• Check the brand and lot number on your current formula supply. The affected product is Alula Gold Premium — other brands (NAN, Enfamil, Similac, S-26) are not part of this recall
• Do not use affected lots if you have them. Return them to the point of purchase for a refund or exchange
• Contact the consumer hotline: 1800-ALULA3 (1800-258523) for information about specific lot numbers
• Consult your pediatrician if your infant consumed the product and is experiencing vomiting, nausea, or unusual digestive symptoms

For general awareness:

• Ecuador's ARCSA maintains an updated list of contaminated food products at controlsanitario.gob.ec
• The same site recently flagged contaminated lots of rice and bottled water with arsenic — worth checking if you buy local brands

Sources: Teleamazonas, ARCSA, Primicias