Consumer goods company Reckitt announced a recall of baby formula products across the United States on Sunday due to possible bacterial contamination.
The company said two batches of ProSobee Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula may have been cross-contaminated with Cronobacter sakazakii, a species often linked to powdered formulas and possibly deadly to infants, according to a report from the CDC. Reckitt will therefore recall 145,000 cans that were manufactured between August 2022 and September 2022 and then distributed throughout the United States.
“We are committed to the highest level of quality and safety and it is for this reason that we have taken this extraordinary measure,” Reckitt said in a statement. “After a thorough investigation, we have identified the root cause, which was linked to material from a third party. We have taken all appropriate corrective actions, including no longer sourcing this material from the supplier. The health and safety of infants is our highest priority.”
The recall comes roughly one year after Abbott Nutrition temporarily shuttered a baby formula facility in Sturgis, Michigan, and initiated a voluntary recall of several products. The absence of EleCare, a formula for children who are unable to digest other products, was especially worrisome to parents and government officials. The White House tried to alleviate the shortage with “Operation Fly Formula,” through which the military imported baby formula from Europe.
The recall was launched after the FDA found standing water, roof leaks, bacteria growths, and inadequate hygiene in the Abbott facility, which was closed between February 2022 and June 2022. Several babies across the country had reportedly been impacted by bacterial infections.
via joemiller
