A paediatrician on Wednesday said parents should stay cautious but not be overly concerned about Nestlé's global recall of certain baby formula products.

Twenty-one batches of the products in question imported to Hong Kong from Germany and Switzerland have been recalled over possible contamination with a toxin called cereulide.

Dr Alvin Chan, a member of the Hong Kong Medical Association, said cereulide is a heat-stable toxin produced by some strains of Bacillus cereus, which can cause food poisoning.

“But because there had been no reports of any serious consequences of children taking these formula milk, I don't think we have to worry that much,” he told RTHK.

But parents should stay cautious, he said, and watch for symptoms indicating babies may need medical help.

“If there are any suspicious symptoms or red flags, like vomiting and diarrhoea, then we have to see doctors immediately and to treat appropriately,” he said.

Dr Chan warned that cereulide can also form in food left overnight without refrigeration.

In a statement, Nestlé said the recall is a precautionary measure and that it has not received any reports of illness related to the issue.

The company said customers can contact its customer service hotline or return products to retailers for a refund.

The Centre for Food Safety said it is actively following up on the case and urged parents not to feed the affected batches to children.

Batch numbers of the concerned products in Hong Kong can be found in
this government attachment.