In late 2025, an infant formula recall reached 99 countries after infants across Europe developed rapid-onset vomiting. Investigators traced the cause to cereulide, a heat-stable toxin produced by Bacillus cereus in arachidonic acid (ARA) oil upstream of manufacturing. Vacuum refining at 240–260 °C eradicated the bacteria to zero colony-forming units but left the cyclic peptide intact. Standard culture tests detect only live bacteria, hence contaminated batches passed while the toxin remained at full potency.
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- Matrix-matched extraction that retains spike recoveries at 87% to 103%
- Isotope dilution with a ¹³C-labeled internal standard that corrects extraction losses
- Source and compound settings that raise cereulide peak area 15-fold
Meet the Expert:
 | Dr. Ming Gao Senior Research Chemist, Mérieux NutriSciences, Crete, Illinois, USA Dr. Ming Gao is a Senior Research Chemist at Mérieux NutriSciences, where he has been a key member of the R&D team (now RDI) in Crete, IL since 2015. His expertise lies in method development using LC-MS, HPLC, GC, and GC-MS platforms. His recent achievements include advanced analytical methods for detecting emetic toxins and PFAS via LC-MS/MS, carotene and asparagine via HPLC, and ethylene/propylene oxide via GC-MS/MS. Dr. Gao has been an active member of AOAC International since April 2016 and joined the AOAC PFAS Working Group in December 2022. |
