Abbott Labs recalls infant formula

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Illinois-based Abbott Labs announced last week the voluntary recall of powdered infant formulas Similac produced at its manufacturing facility in Sturgis, Michigan.

In a press release dated Feb. 17, the company did not specify how much infant formula sold under the brand names Similac, Alimentum and EleCare was being recalled, but said that the products have “a multidigit number on the of the container starting with the first two digits 22 through 37, contains K8, SH or Z2,” and have an expiration date of April 1, 2022 or later.

The products are being recalled following four complaints related to Cronobacter sakazakii or Salmonella Newport in infants who had consumed infant formula manufactured in the facility, Abbott said in a Feb. 17 press release.

Cronobacter sakazakii is often found in dry foods, such as infant formulas, powdered milk and herbal teas, and can cause meningitis in infants and blood and urinary tract infections in people of all ages. Salmonella Newport can be found on products as varied as fresh vegetables and powdered foods and can cause severe diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps and even death.

“No distributed product has tested positive for the presence of either of these bacteria, and we continue to test,” the Abbott Labs press release said.

The company said no liquid or powdered formulas or nutrition products produced at any of the company’s other facilities were affected by the recall.

In a separate press release issued Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it has “granted additional flexibilities” to allow agencies participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, also known as WIC, to allow participating parents who received any products under recall to exchange them.

According to USDA, the waivers will allow those participating in WIC to get medical waivers and even exceed the maximum monthly allowance of infant formula in order to exchange any products, according to USDA.

According to Stephanie Melcher, communications manager with Moses Lake Community Health, which administers the WIC program in Grant County, the agency has received a lot of inquiries following the recall announcement.

“Friday in Moses Lake, our WIC department had over 200 calls regarding the formula recall and numerous clients came in to exchange,” Melcher said. “Monday was a little better.”

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com.

Abbott Labs brands recalled:

Similac, Alimentum, EleCare

Lot numbers begin with 22 through 37

Lot numbers also contain K8, SH or Z2

The recall affects items with an expiration date of April 1, 2022 or later.