In September 2005, a government scientist found traces of 2-isopropylthioxanthone (ITX) in ready-to-eat infant formula from Nestle products. ITX is a photoinitiator for inks used in carton packaging printing that contaminates the inside of the package during processing and then migrates into the product. Similar to semicarbazides, ITX is used globally for packaging by Tetra Pak and other packaging companies; therefore, a wide range of products azodicarbonamide such as milk and milk products, infant formula, soy drinks, fruit juices, fruit juices and other affected globally.
First on 24 November and then on 7 December 2005, 3 months after the incident was reported and one month after the height of the crisis, EFSA issued its opinion on the possible health risks of ITX. EFSA advises that while the presence of ITX in food is undesirable, reported levels are not likely to cause health concerns (EFSA, 2005).
Nestlé was the first company to be alerted to the incident and issued its first recall of affected products on a precautionary basis. Later, when it received confirmation of the nature of the agent, the low level of risk and the magnitude of the problem, it reported the problem to European authorities through the food industry association. In October 2005, an action plan to remove ITX was agreed with the European Union and communicated to European Member States through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RAFSS). Consequently, contaminated products remain on the market until they can be gradually replaced by other products. In November 2005, the Italian government, disagreeing with the decision and risk assessment at European level, confiscated Nestlé's infant formula products, including those in its warehouses, in front of the BBC's cameras. In order to maintain consumer trust, the company had to withdraw all affected products from the European markets where they were sold. The confiscation of the product by the police and a massive recall in Europe had severe repercussions for the company, which had to respond to financial analysts about the financial fallout in addition to explaining the incident. Within 3 months, the food safety incident first escalated into a food safety crisis, then a financial crisis, and then a communication crisis between the Nestle CEO and the Italian Minister of Health.