Federal police seized more than 500 containers of counterfeit SanCor Bebé Advanced 1 infant formula, and an expert report by Senasa, the national agri-food health and quality agency, found a toxin in the samples analyzed at more than six times the legal limit.
The case began when parents reported health problems in babies who had been fed powdered formula bought in supermarkets under the SanCor name, and SanCor’s legal representative filed a complaint, the police said. The Senasa report found aflatoxin M1, a toxin derived from molds, above the maximum set by the Argentine Food Code. It concluded the product is unfit for consumption and a serious danger to infants, for whom formula is the main food.
Investigators found that the fakes were stored in several properties and sold through supermarkets, shops and online platforms. On the order of Federal Judge Juan Tomás Ponte Rodríguez, of Lomas de Zamora, police carried out 14 raids in Buenos Aires city and in the Buenos Aires province towns of Ezeiza, Quilmes, San Vicente, Lanús, Cañuelas and Roque Pérez. They also seized a vehicle, phones, laptops, cash and documents. Five adults were identified as suspected participants and are at the disposal of the court for a possible violation of the trademark law.
Police said the fakes differ from the real product. The plastic scoop has a different size and quality, and the packaging has misprints, including “Adventencia” for “Advertencia” (warning) and “Olico” for “Oleico” (oleic). The seized containers carry the lot code L F-011207563, with a production date of January 10, 2026 and an expiry date of January 10, 2027.
Investigators are tracing how widely the product was sold and who made it. People who come across the product can report it to the federal police’s federal-crimes complaints division in Buenos Aires, open 24 hours, at 4370-5876.