Chilean Consumer Agency Seeks Compensation for Contaminated Infant Formula

The National Consumer Service (Sernac) of Chile has formally started a Voluntary Collective Procedure against Sanulac Nutrición Chile Spa. This action aims to secure financial compensation for families who purchased Alula Gold infant formulas, which have been found to have critical manufacturing issues posing potential health risks to infants.

The health alert was issued in January when Sanulac, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, identified a possible contamination with cereulide toxin, produced by Bacillus cereus. This bacterium is known to cause severe food poisoning symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Due to the vulnerability of infants, the risk was deemed extreme, prompting the immediate market withdrawal of approximately 164,836 units.

The affected products were sold in 2025 and 2026, covering 200g, 400g, and 900g packages of Alula Gold 1, 2, 3, and Comfort lines. Although Sanulac had already initiated a product replacement or refund process, Sernac is now seeking a comprehensive compensation proposal that addresses the risk exposure beyond just a refund of the product cost.

Sanulac has agreed to participate in this extrajudicial procedure, aiming for a swift resolution without the need for a collective lawsuit. Health and consumer authorities emphasized the legal obligation of the dairy and infant nutrition industry to maintain unbreakable safety standards, especially in sensitive products like infant formulas, where safety deviations can have fatal consequences for neonatal development.