Hazardous toxins found in baby food

Those who ate the porridge suddenly fell ill and vomited

In 2024, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority received 23 reports of babies falling ill after eating baby food and even cases of vomiting after porridge. After testing, it turned out that they contained toxins. The affected children live in eight different counties across the country. All children were ill for a short time and are now healthy.

The first alarming reports to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority concerned infants aged 5-6 months who became unwell after being fed baby food by their parents. Many became suddenly ill, and some vomited.

After the first reports, the baby food was recalled from the market by the manufacturer, after which reports of sick children stopped.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority said it was certainly good news that all the children had recovered, but the discovery of this type of toxin in products intended for children is a very serious problem. A total of 23 complaints were received from parents.

In recent weeks, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, in collaboration with the manufacturer, as well as the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), has carried out extensive analysis and research to find a possible cause for the children’s illness.

Food tests show the presence of a toxin that could cause food poisoning. It is produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus, a soil bacterium commonly found in soil and grains. Under the right conditions, the bacterium can multiply in grains and foods, producing a toxin that is highly heat resistant. Therefore, the “infection” can survive frying and boiling.

The toxin can cause short-term food poisoning, lasting up to a day. The main symptom is vomiting.

The sick infants ate three of five baby foods made from black oats: sourdough porridge, solids puree and oatmeal with banana. The common ingredient in the products is ground black oats, which were obtained from the same batch of raw materials.

Den sorte havre produces its own oats on a farm in Vaaler in eastern Norway and has provided full government cooperation with the study.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority will now inspect the company’s workshops to find out where bacterial toxins may have formed during the production process.

Norwegian broadcaster NRK tried to get a comment from the manufacturer of Den sorte havre, but they did not comment on what happened.

Doctors interviewed twelve parents who reported sick children to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.

All infants had repeated bouts of vomiting one to two hours after eating the porridge. One of the children was several months older than the others and did not vomit, but began to have diarrhea after consuming the product.

After the baby food disappeared from store shelves, no further cases of possible food poisoning were reported to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.