After four babies who consumed the company’s products were reported to have been hospitalized for bacterial infections, Abbott Nutrition announced on Thursday it is recalling specific lots of the company’s Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare infant formulas, produced in its facility in Sturgis, Michigan.
Abbott Nutrition Executive Vice President Joe Manning apologized for the situation and the inconvenience that the recall will cause parents, caregivers, and health care professionals.
The recall of Abbott Nutrition’s three of its formulas follows after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a release on Thursday advising consumers not to use certain powdered infant formula products produced at the facility.
The FDA wrote in the release that it’s investigating complaints that four infants in three states who have consumed powdered infant formula produced at Abbott Nutrition’s Michigan facility were reported to have Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport infections.
According to FDA’s information, Cronobacter bacteria can cause severe, life-threatening infections (sepsis) or meningitis while Salmonella can cause gastrointestinal illness and fever (salmonellosis), diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, among other things, and in some cases, may become fatal.
The statement adds that all four infants were hospitalized and that the Cronobacter may have contributed to a death in one case.
Pointing that the agency had initiated an onsite inspection at the facility, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Frank Yiannas expressed the agency’s deep concerns about these bacterial infections reports as the formula is a product used as the sole source of nutrition for many newborns and infants in the US.
According to the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local partners are also contributing to the investigation.
However, Abbott Nutrition’s products made at the Sturgis, Michigan facility were also likely exported to other countries.
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