An 8-month-old baby died on February 5th in Sainte-Foy-de-Peyrollières , near Toulouse. While there is widespread grief, the Toulouse prosecutor's office remains cautious: the autopsy performed has not yet definitively established the cause of death.

The leads of the investigation

The public prosecutor, David Charmatz, stated that no signs of violence were detected. At this stage, experts are investigating two main hypotheses:

1. Sudden infant death syndrome: A natural cause that remains a possibility.
2. Ingestion of infant formula: Although the box consumed was not among the recently recalled batches, this possibility has not been ruled out by the authorities.

"Numerous scientific analyses are underway to establish the cause of this death and will take several weeks," the magistrate stressed, while calling for calm to avoid fueling a general psychosis.

A context of health crisis

This tragedy comes amid a climate of tension for the infant formula industry. Since December, the sector has been shaken by massive recalls (Nestlé, Danone, Lactalis) due to the potential presence of cereulide , a toxin that can cause severe vomiting.

Current situation:

1. Three deaths reported: The Ministry of Health has recorded three deaths of infants who consumed milks affected by the recalls.
2. No formal link: For now, no direct causal link has been scientifically proven between these milks and the deaths.
3. Stricter regulations: European authorities have recently lowered the tolerance thresholds for cereulide, triggering new waves of precautions.

The results of the in-depth analyses are expected in the coming weeks to shed full light on this matter.