The Vietnam Food Administration (VFA) under the Ministry of Health has issued an urgent directive to provincial health departments and relevant authorities nationwide, requesting a comprehensive review, suspension, and immediate recall of French-made Allernova AR infant formula. The action follows an official warning from French health authorities regarding severe gastrointestinal side effects in infants.
Details of the Recalled Batch
The affected product is the Allernova AR baby milk formula manufactured by Laboratoires Novalac. The specific batch subject to the emergency recall is batch number 183403.
The French Ministry of Health had previously announced a voluntary recall of this batch after the national nutritional surveillance system (Anses) recorded 11 reports of adverse digestive reactions in infants, including severe diarrhea and persistent vomiting. An additional report was filed via the SignalConso consumer platform, all pointing to the same production run.
Clinical Cases and Investigation
Among the affected infants, one required hospitalization. Clinical testing of the infant's stool sample revealed the presence of Adenovirus, a common pathogen responsible for acute gastroenteritis. French medical authorities confirmed that Adenovirus is typically not transmitted through breast milk. They also clarified that this incident is completely unrelated to recent international warnings concerning cereulide toxins in infant formula products.
Regulatory Actions in Vietnam
To safeguard public health, the VFA has requested local health departments and food safety agencies to implement the following measures immediately:
- Review all product registration and self-declaration profiles for Allernova AR infant formula manufactured by Laboratoires Novalac.
- Instruct importers, distributors, and retailers to widely notify consumers, halt the distribution of the warned batch, and carry out a complete recall.
- Coordinate with the Agency for E-commerce and Digital Economy (Ministry of Industry and Trade) to notify e-commerce platforms and online retail websites to remove product listings and suspend sales of the affected batch.
Parents currently feeding their children Allernova AR formula are strongly advised to check the batch number printed on the packaging. If it matches batch 183403, they must stop using the product immediately and monitor their child's health closely, seeking medical attention if any abnormal digestive symptoms occur.