What is going on with baby formula manufacturing these days? Another recall has been issued due to fears of two batches being contaminated with Cronobacter sakazakii.
Reckitt Benckiser is voluntarily recalling 145,000 cans of baby formula. It is two batches of Prosobee 12.9 oz Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula. The company made the announcement on Sunday.
Reckitt, a producer of nutrition products, announced today that, out of an abundance of caution, it has chosen to voluntarily recall two (2) select batches of ProSobee 12.9 oz. Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula due to a possibility of cross-contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii. All products distributed went through extensive testing and tested negative for the bacteria.
ProSobee Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula in 12.9 oz containers was manufactured between August 2022 and September 2022. The products were distributed through retail stores nationwide in the U.S., Guam, and Puerto Rico. The batches in question can be identified by the number on the bottom of the can. Recalled product batches are ZL2HZF and ZL2HZZ both with a UPC Code of 300871214415 and a “Use By Date” of “1 Mar 2024.” The recall involves approximately 145,000 cans.
The company noted that no illnesses or adverse events have been reported. So, why the recall? Reckitt blames a third party.
We are committed to the highest level of quality and safety and it is for this reason that we have taken this extraordinary measure. The batches in question tested negative for Cronobacter and other bacteria and this is an isolated situation. 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.
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Cronobacter bacteria can cause severe, life-threatening infections (sepsis) or meningitis (an inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain and spine). Symptoms of sepsis and meningitis may include poor feeding, irritability, temperature changes, jaundice (yellow skin and whites of the eyes), grunting breaths and abnormal movements. Cronobacter infection may also cause bowel damage and may spread through the blood to other parts of the body.
Sounds scary, especially since we are talking about infant consumers. I’d love for someone to explain why all of a sudden there is an infant formula safety crisis in this country and in the formula manufactured by Reckitt, a British multinational consumer goods company headquartered in England. Almost all of the outbreaks reported in the United States have been linked to powdered baby formulas. They don’t undergo the same high temperatures used to kill germs in other foods. Manufacturers claim it is impossible to eliminate all bacteria from formulas.
We all remember when Biden’s America began to look like a third-world country last year. Abbott, a major formula producer, was shut down by the FDA and issued recalls of its products manufactured at its Michigan plant, which added to a supply chain crisis exacerbated by the pandemic. Parents scrambled to find formulas to purchase among empty store shelves. The Biden administration, as usual, was asleep at the wheel and didn’t even acknowledge the crisis until it was well underway. By then it was too late to stop the panic. The crisis still hasn’t been fully resolved.
The Reckitt products were distributed through retail stores across the nation, as well as in Guam and Puerto Rico.
The FDA has the updated information on its website.
