Why 'Gangnam Formula' Flooded Karrot Market: Aptamil Recall in Europe Stokes Anxiety in Mom Communities

According to The Financial News, certain batches of the premium formula Aptamil distributed in the United Kingdom and other European countries are being recalled over concerns that they may contain a toxin capable of causing food poisoning. As the recall proceeds, anxiety is spreading across Korean online parenting communities, while listings for related products have surged on secondhand marketplaces.

On the 28th, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that trace amounts of cereulide, a toxin produced by the foodborne pathogen Bacillus cereus, may be present in some products from several formula manufacturers, including Nestlé, Lactalis Group, and Sanulac. As a result, precautionary recalls are under way across Europe.
Among them, French food company Danone announced on the 23rd that it was recalling certain batches of Aptamil First Infant Formula 800g sold in the United Kingdom and other European markets. The affected products were distributed between May and July last year, mainly in the UK, and have a best-before date of October 31, 2026.
Cereulide is highly heat-resistant and is not easily destroyed during manufacturing or processing. Ingesting it can trigger acute gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea.

After the news broke, Danone Nutricia Korea, the official distributor of Aptamil in Korea, posted a notice on its online store on the 27th. The company stated, "This recall is a precautionary measure limited to specific batches distributed in certain European countries," and added, "All Aptamil products officially distributed in Korea are unrelated to this issue."

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety also stated that "the formula products currently being recalled in Europe, including those from Nestlé, Lactalis Group, Sanulac, and Aptamil, have never been officially imported into Korea." However, considering the possibility of overseas direct purchases, the ministry has asked online platforms such as Naver Shopping, Auction, and eBay, as well as proxy purchasing services, to ban the sale and purchase of the affected products.

The ministry further noted that it had conducted a comprehensive inspection of 113 formula products distributed domestically and found no traces of cereulide.


Despite the government’s announcements, households raising young children are becoming increasingly anxious.

According to News1, posts about Aptamil poured into online parenting communities throughout the day. In Korea, Aptamil has long been popular through both overseas direct purchases and official sales, and is often called the "Gangnam formula" or "easy-to-digest formula."

On these mom communities, many parents wrote messages such as, "My baby finished all of Aptamil Stage 1, and now that this issue has come up, I feel extremely uneasy," and "My baby vomited often, and I keep wondering if it was because of the formula. I can’t sleep." Others posted, "They say the German domestic version and the officially imported Korean version are different. What are we supposed to trust?" and "We’re planning to switch to a domestic formula brand," expressing their concern.
In some communities, users also shared coping tips, posting messages like "Please recommend an alternative formula with similar ingredients to Aptamil" and "How to tell if your product is part of the recall."

News1 also reported that many posts offering unopened Aptamil products for sale have appeared on secondhand trading platforms. On major marketplaces such as Karrot Market and Joonggonara, listings could be found with titles like "unopened," "only stored at home," and "more than one year left until expiration," alongside offers to sell Aptamil.

y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter