In a dispatch sent to local authorities on 4/3, the Ministry of Health also requested the development of testing methods to identify cereulide toxin, produced by Bacillus cereus bacteria, in milk and infant nutrition products. This measure aims to prevent food safety incidents and provide timely warnings to consumers. Local authorities must promptly recall and issue warnings when non-compliant products are found.

Several key institutes, including the Institute of Testing, Institute of Nutrition, Pasteur Institute, and Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, are mandated to standardize testing methods for cereulide toxin in milk and nutrition product samples. This standardization must ensure the reliability of results and consistent detection limits for use in testing activities.

This move comes amid recent international concerns, as several countries have initiated recalls of milk product batches suspected of cereulide toxin contamination, which poses a risk to infants. Over the past two months, the largest powdered milk crisis of the decade has impacted the global food industry, with three giants—Nestle, Danone, and Lactalis—simultaneously recalling millions of products across more than 70 countries.

Vietnam has also requested a halt to the circulation of and a review for the recall of affected products present in its market.

Cereulide is a toxic cyclic organic compound (depsipeptide) produced by Bacillus cereus bacteria. The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) warns that cereulide's most dangerous characteristic is its high heat stability. Common processing methods, such as boiling or preparing milk with hot water, cannot neutralize or destroy this toxin. When ingested, cereulide stimulates the vagus nerve, sending signals to the brain's vomiting center within 1 to 6 hours. Due to the immature detoxification functions in infants, the toxin can directly attack cell mitochondria, leading to a risk of acute liver failure or multi-organ complications.

Le Nga