FAO Expert Review Examines Powdered Infant Formula Safety

Food-safety authorities are taking a closer look at powdered infant formula. In an announcement published on June 15, 2026, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said experts were meeting in Rome to reassess microbiological risks linked to powdered formula for infants and young children.

The review is being conducted through the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA), following a request from the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene. The meeting was scheduled for June 15–19 and is intended to provide updated scientific advice for a possible revision of the international Code of Hygienic Practice for Powdered Formulae for Infants and Young Children.

This is not a product recall or a new household preparation rule. It is a scientific assessment that could help food-safety authorities update guidance used across the supply chain.

Why powdered formula is under review

Powdered infant formula is not sterile. The FAO says outbreaks and recalls linked to powdered formula continue to occur worldwide, and that the consequences can be particularly serious for infants and young children. The review therefore looks beyond the finished product to the entire route from manufacture to feeding.

Experts are assessing the global burden of disease associated with powdered formula and reviewing how contamination may occur during production, packaging, distribution, preparation and consumption. The work is designed to identify where controls can reduce risk most effectively, rather than focusing only on what happens in a family kitchen.

The hazards being examined

The FAO announcement names several pathogens of concern, including Clostridium botulinum, Bacillus cereus, Cronobacter and Salmonella. The experts are also reviewing the methods used to detect and characterise these organisms, as well as the monitoring and surveillance programmes used by authorities and manufacturers.

That matters because contamination can have different origins. Some risks are linked to the manufacturing environment or ingredients, while others may be introduced or amplified during preparation and storage. A safer system needs controls at each stage.

The expected outcome is an updated scientific foundation for risk-reduction measures and recommendations. The FAO announcement does not itself announce a revised Codex code, a new recall or a change to a specific brand’s instructions.

What parents and caregivers should do now

Until new international guidance is published, the safest approach is to follow the product label and current public-health advice carefully. CDC preparation guidance provides a practical routine:

Wash your hands and clean the preparation area. Use a clean bottle, nipple and cap, and make sure feeding equipment is properly cleaned and dried.
Use water from a safe source. Measure the water first, then add the exact amount of powder specified on the label. Do not dilute formula or add extra powder.
Take extra precautions for infants younger than two months, babies born prematurely and infants with weakened immune systems. CDC notes that ready-to-feed liquid formula is the safest option in an emergency; caregivers should also ask a healthcare professional about the appropriate preparation method for their child.
Use prepared formula promptly. CDC advises using it within two hours of preparation and within one hour after feeding begins. Refrigerate prepared formula that will not be used immediately, following the relevant storage instructions, and discard any formula left in the bottle after a feed.
Do not rely on smell or appearance to judge safety. If the product is recalled, damaged, past its use-by date or has been stored incorrectly, do not feed it to a child.

These steps cannot remove every risk associated with a non-sterile powder, but they reduce opportunities for contamination and growth after the container is opened.

What happens next

The FAO says the expert work is intended to support stronger risk-management measures across the global production chain. That could eventually affect manufacturing controls, environmental monitoring, analytical methods, packaging, distribution and consumer-preparation advice.

For families, the key message is measured rather than alarming: the announcement signals a review of the evidence, not a general warning against powdered formula. Parents should continue using formula according to the label and local health guidance, while checking official recall notices when concerns arise.

As the scientific assessment develops, any formal changes should come through the relevant public-health authorities and food regulators. Until then, careful preparation, rapid use and clean feeding equipment remain the most practical safeguards at home.

By Noah Mercier