Swiss food giant Nestlé has announced a recall of certain batches of infant formula in several European countries, including France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Italy and Sweden, as a precautionary measure.

The company said on its website that it had identified a “quality issue” in an ingredient sourced from one of its main suppliers.

“Nestlé has undertaken testing of all arachidonic acid oil and related oil mixes used in the production of potentially affected infant nutrition products,” the statement read.

The company confirmed that “no illnesses have been reported in connection with the products involved to date” and said it was coordinating with authorities in the respective countries to ensure all necessary steps are taken.

“Nestlé assures parents and caregivers that it is taking appropriate actions, including recalling products where necessary,” the statement added.

Nestlé France said it was carrying out a “preventive and voluntary recall” of selected batches of its Guigoz and Nidal infant formulas after investigations indicated the potential presence of cereulide, a toxin that can cause digestive problems including vomiting and stomach cramps.

It is unlikely to be deactivated or destroyed by cooking, using boiling water or when making the infant milk, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) warned.

The FSA's head of incidents, Jane Rawling, said parents, guardians and caregivers should not feed infants or young children the affected products.

“I want to reassure parents, guardians and caregivers that we are taking urgent action, helping to ensure all of the affected product is removed from sale as a precaution,” she added.

Additionally, the company posted pictures of the affected batch numbers on local websites. The products are sold under the Alfamino and Beba brands in Germany.

Nestlé has also offered a dedicated phone line to address customer queries, as well as instructions for returning the impacted products and receiving a refund.