I propose to take Questions Nos. 586, 587 and 588 together.
There have been no cases of illness directly linked to cereulide contamination in Ireland. Cereulide is a toxin which can cause severe vomiting in infants.
In January this year Ireland was notified of the potential contamination with cereulide of ARA oli (arachidonic acid), an ingredient in infant formula production, imported from a supplier in China. My Department in collaboration with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) coordinated a risk assessment to identify all batches of infant formula produced in Ireland that were, potentially, at risk of contamination. In order to ensure a high level of consumer protection all these batches were subject to recall from consumers and removal from the markets in question. Information on these recalls was made available to the public on the FSAI website and through point-of-sale notices in retail outlets. My Department and the FSAI also liaised intensively with the EU Commission and EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) during this time. This led to the publication of a rapid risk assessment by EFSA that for the first time established limits for cereulide in infant formula
Following this incident, all infant formula manufacturing businesses in Ireland revised their procedures regarding the sourcing and testing of ARA oil.
In addition, since late February 2026, imports of ARA oil from China have been subject to special conditions upon the entry into the European Union. Every consignment of ARA oil originating from China has to be presented at Border Control Posts (BCP) of the Member States, where they are subject to documentary checks and, at a 50% frequency, physical and identity checks. In addition, every consignment has to be accompanied by the result of laboratory analyses and an official certificate, issued by the Chinese competent authority, stating that the results of sampling and analyses show the absence of cereulide.
In order to verify the effectiveness of the corrective actions implemented, my Department has taken samples from current production from all infant manufacturers and no cereulide has been detected. My Department will continue to carry out controls to verify that procedures implemented by manufacturers are effective and thus ensuring the safety of infant formula manufactured in Ireland.
