Why I am speaking out

I am a mother of two young children, eight months and three years old.

My baby depends on infant formula today, and my older child depended on it in the past. Like so many parents, I trusted that baby food is safe, because when it comes to feeding our babies, there is sometimes no real alternative.

Babies are defenseless. They cannot choose, question or protect themselves. They rely entirely on adults, on regulations and on the companies that profit from products made for them.

That is why the recent reports about cereulide toxin in infant formula are so alarming. Cereulide is a heat-stable toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus. Even tiny amounts can cause severe vomiting and, in rare cases, serious liver damage. For infants with low body weight and developing systems, the risk is particularly high.

This is not a minor oversight. It is a systemic failure.

A failure of control mechanisms, of accountability and of regulation in a sector where safety must be absolute.

It is unacceptable that testing for such a dangerous toxin is still voluntary in many regions. Babies should never be dependent on voluntary compliance or corporate goodwill. Their protection must be mandatory, consistent and uncompromising.

This petition is not about panic. It is about responsibility.

And it is about drawing a clear line when it comes to the health of our children.

What this petition demands

1. Mandatory routine testing for cereulide in all infant and follow-on formulas
2. Zero tolerance for toxic metabolites in baby food
3. Clear, binding international standards, not voluntary guidelines
4. Full transparency for parents and consumers
5. Independent public controls in addition to manufacturer testing

What needs to happen now

1. Close regulatory gaps immediately
2. Make infant formula safety non-negotiable
3. Put the protection of babies above corporate convenience

Who this petition is addressed to

This petition is addressed to those who carry direct responsibility for the safety of infant nutrition:

• Infant formula manufacturers, including
  Danone (Aptamil),
  Nestlé (SMA, BEBA),
  Lactalis Group,
  and all other companies placing infant formula on the European and global market.
• German authorities, in particular
  the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), as well as the state food safety and consumer protection authorities responsible for market surveillance.
• European regulatory bodies, especially
  the European Commission and its Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE).

Babies deserve safety without compromise.

Parents deserve trust they do not have to question.

This must never happen again.