Tainted Baby Milk Hits Billionaire Clan’s Powerful Dairy Empire

For the secretive billionaire Besnier family, the recent recall of potentially dangerous infant formula made by its nearly century-old firm brings an uncomfortable feeling of deja vu.

Just eight years ago, the French clan behind Groupe Lactalis, the world’s biggest dairy company, and its chief executive officer — third-generation scion Emmanuel Besnier — faced another crisis after dozens of infants who consumed formula produced at one of its plants in western France were poisoned by salmonella. Lactalis was criticized for acting too slowly and charged for failing to recall the product, deception and involuntary injuries. The case is ongoing.