{"id":186734,"date":"2026-01-26T12:20:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T11:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ainia.com\/?p=186734"},"modified":"2026-01-26T12:42:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T11:42:35","slug":"cereulide-toxin-the-hidden-risk-of-bacillus-cereus-and-control-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ainia.com\/en\/ainia-news\/cereulide-toxin-the-hidden-risk-of-bacillus-cereus-and-control-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"Cereulide toxin: the hidden risk of Bacillus cereus and control strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"

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  1. Why cereulide matters for food safety<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Bacilus cereus and cereulide toxin: key facts and risks<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. Bacilus cereus: higher-risk food categories<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. Bacilus cereus: prevention strategies in food manufacturing<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  5. Analytical control (bacteria, toxin and genes)<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  6. AINIA analytical capabilities for cereulide<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  7. References<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    1. Why cereulide matters for food safety<\/h2>\n

    The recent market withdrawal of several infant foods due to the possible presence of cereulide toxin<\/strong> has highlighted\u2014both to the general public and to the sector\u2014the importance of this food safety hazard. This article provides an overview of the characteristics of this hazard and the risks it entails, as well as the strategies to adopt for its control in the food industry, while also outlining AINIA\u2019s analytical capabilities in this area.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

    Cereulide toxin, produced by certain emetic strains of Bacillus cereus<\/em>, has become\u2014within just a few years\u2014an operational priority across many food categories. A recent trigger was the global recall of infant formulas initiated in late 2025 and expanded in January 2026 due to the possible presence of the toxin in an ingredient used across multiple factories and brands of infant nutrition products\u2014an example of how a single ingredient can have worldwide impact in complex supply chains. This toxin is extremely heat-stable and is not inactivated by domestic heat treatments or boiling water<\/strong>, meaning its presence in these foods can pose a potentially serious risk.<\/p>\n

    2. Bacilus cereus and cereulide toxin: key facts and risks<\/h2>\n

    Bacillus cereus<\/em> is a group of aerobic, pathogenic, ubiquitous bacteria present in the environment and commonly found in a wide variety of raw materials and foods of agricultural and livestock origin: cereals, spices, aromatic herbs, vegetables, fruit, milk, meat, etc.<\/p>\n

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    1. The B. cereus<\/em> group includes eight formally recognised species, two of which are mainly responsible for foodborne toxicoinfections: B. cereus<\/em> sensu stricto and B. thuringiensis<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Spore germination capacity makes this bacterium highly resistant, enabling it to grow and multiply in humid, acidic environments and at high salt concentrations<\/strong>, as well as under refrigeration conditions. It is important to note that a low number of spores can trigger toxicoinfection.<\/p>\n

      Toxin production occurs at temperatures between 24 and 37\u00baC; however, it cannot occur in the absence of oxygen or below 10\u00baC. There are two types of toxins produced by B. cereus<\/em>:<\/p>\n

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      1. Emetic toxin or cereulide, produced by certain B. cereus<\/em> strains.<\/li>\n
      2. Diarrhoeal enterotoxins, produced by both B. cereus<\/em> and B. thuringiensis<\/em>. These toxins are generated in the human intestine by the proliferation of spores in direct contact with intestinal epithelial cells.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Cereulide toxin is highly stable across a wide pH range (2\u201311) and temperature range (stable at 121\u00baC for 30 minutes). Therefore, it can form in the food<\/strong> before consumption and remain active<\/strong> after reheating or domestic pasteurisation.<\/p>\n

        Health effects include intense nausea and vomiting<\/strong>, typically appearing within five hours of ingestion and usually resolving within 6 to 24 hours. Gastrointestinal symptoms combined with the toxicity of the toxins themselves make this hazard particularly important for people with weakened immune systems (infants and children under 5, people over 60, cancer patients, diabetics, people living with HIV, patients treated with corticosteroids, etc.), for whom more severe outcomes may occur, such as liver failure (emetic toxin) or necrotising enteritis (enterotoxins).<\/p>\n

        3. Bacilus cereus: higher-risk food categories<\/h2>\n

        Regarding contamination risk across different foods, this hazard is widely distributed:<\/p>\n