Shutterstock
New parents are worried as Abbott recalls a slue of baby formula products. The recall also covers some brands marketed for infants with specialized dietary restrictions. Parents of children with dietary concerns are worried about the recall since baby formula has already been hard to find given ongoing shipping shortages.
Read on for more information regarding this recall and what parents should do if they’ve purchased the affected formula.
Abbott’s official press release indicates that products from the formula brands Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare have been recalled due to salmonella concerns. According to the press release, the recalled products were manufactured at a facility in Sturgis, Michigan.
Consumers complained that infants who ingested the baby formula products fell ill with Cronobacter sakazakii or Salmonella bacteria infections. As such, Abbott encourages parents to have their infants tested for these illnesses if they’ve recently consumed any of the products from the recalled formula brands.
The company has clarified that it hasn’t detected these bacteria in its testing of the powder products. Abbott initiated the recall out of an abundance of caution after consumers complained of illnesses.
The affected formula products were manufactured at the Sturgis, Michigan facility and share an expiration date of April 1, 2022. You can check the lot number of any Abbott formula products through the company’s web page, which will tell you whether the formula has been recalled.
If you’ve purchased an affected formula product, discontinue its use immediately and return it to the retailer you purchased it from for a refund. If you no longer have the receipt, discard the formula instead.
Take your baby to their pediatrician to have them tested for Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella. Bacterial infections can be life-threatening for infants, so parents should act swiftly.
Mother Kathleen Brotzmann tells local news outlet WNEP that she’s worried about her infant daughter, Lucy. “It’s very consuming too, especially with the recalled formula as well,” Brotzmann explains. “All of the symptoms that Lucy was having was kind of consistent with the recalled formula and the symptoms of food-borne illnesses.” Lucy suffers from acid reflux at just two months old, so she needs specialized formula to control her symptoms.
“I found all of her cans because we were going to recycle them, and I was going through can after can after can and typing in each number and seeing that it was recalled. I was basically furious over it.”
