Danone moves to quell baby formula fears after UK media reports

Danone has moved to reassure customers in NZ and Australia that its Aptamil infant formula is a safe. Picture/NZ Herald.

French food group Danone has moved to reassure consumers in New Zealand and Australia that one of its infant formula brands - Aptamil - is safe after reports emerged in the UK that it had made some children sick.

The company said the type of formula sold in Britain - a new recipe - is not on sale locally.

Danone said its staff in the UK were "doing everything to investigate every single complaint and to help families during the transition to the new recipe".

"Our experience tells us that when changing what you feed your baby, they may need time to adapt and have some temporary changes to their digestive pattern," the company said in a statement.

The new formula has recently been introduced in six European countries and was well received, overall, it said.

Prior to the launch, extensive quality and safety checks, including clinical trials, product testing and product experience tests were undertaken to ensure that the recipe is safe and well tolerated, Danone said.

Reuters reported that Danone was investigating reports that its new Aptamil baby milk formula had made some infants unwell in Britain.

Parents had made complaints on the brand's Aptaclub UK Facebook page after recent changes to the formulas of three of its milks, the agency said.

Parents also told the BBC that their babies experienced upset stomachs after they started using the new recipe.