FDA issues notice for recalled baby formula that was distributed in eight states

A baby formula made by one of America’s ‘big four’ manufacturers has been recalled for a second time — after companies continued to sell the tainted powder.

Michigan-based Perrigo Company urged Americans to stop using certain batches of Gerber Good Start SoothePro formula in mid-March when tests spotted a bacteria that can be fatal to children under two months old lurking in the formula.

But on Sunday, the product had to be recalled again after discovering that the powder had been sent to independent grocery stores in eight different states even after the alert was sent.

Americans who bought the powder have been urged to throw it in the trash immediately and contact Perrigo for a refund.

While no illnesses have been reported, the Food and Drug Administration urges parents to look out for fever, poor feed and excessive crying if their child consumes the formula.

The notice was re-released on May 14 by food distributor Associated Wholesale Grocers, which admitted that it was still selling the product.

‘Any consumer who purchased a product… should discontinue use and dispose of the product,’ they said.

Batches that had been recalled were sent to eight states. These were: Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

On March 17, Perrigo issued a recall notice for nine lots of its Gerber Good Start SootheProTM Powdered Infant Formula.

They said the move was out of an ‘abundance of caution’ after tests showed the formula was contaminated with Cronobacter sakazakii.

This bacteria is naturally found in the environment and is particularly adept at surviving in low-moisture, dry foods — such as baby powder.

It is harmless for most people, but in rare cases can prove deadly for infants younger than two months because it can infect the blood or cause swelling in the lining around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).

It was not clear how the bacteria got into the baby powder, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says this can happen if formula comes into contact with a contaminated surface or if the ingredients used have already been contaminated.

Perrigo also had a recall due to the bacteria in 2019, when the contamination was spotted in its formula sold at Walmart. 

All the affected baby formula was manufactured between January 2 and 18.

Gerber Good Start is targeted at babies up to a year old, with marketing claiming the formula can help with excessive crying, fussiness and gas.

It is currently out of stock on the Gerber website.

There are only four companies that manufacture baby formula in the US: Abbott Laboratories, Mead Johnson, Perrigo Company PLC and Nestle. 

This incident brings back terrible memories of the horrific baby formula shortage that struck the US last year.

The formula shortage was sparked in February when Abbott Laboratories closed its plant in Sturgis and initiated a recall while food-safety regulators investigated possibly deadly contamination. 

The plant had been responsible for producing roughly one-fifth of US formula and is a major supplier of specialty formulas that babies with special needs rely on to survive. 

This led to parents hoarding formula, thus making the shortage even worse. 

Nine months after the crisis began, about a third of U.S. households said they still had trouble obtaining baby formula, according to a Census Bureau survey conducted in mid-November. 

And empty shelves continued to linger into March of this year, but reports of parents struggling to feed their children have subsided.