Abbott, the maker of the baby formula Similac, is voluntarily recalling certain Similac-brand, powder infant formulas in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam and some countries in the Caribbean.
An internal quality review detected the remote possibility of the presence of a small common beetle in the product produced in one production area in a single manufacturing facility.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that while the formula containing these beetles poses no immediate health risk, there is a possibility that infants who consume formula containing the beetles or their larvae, could experience symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort and refusal to eat as a result of small insect parts irritating the GI tract. If these symptoms persist for more than a few days, a physician should be consulted.
The recall of these powder infant formulas includes:
• Certain Similac powder product lines offered in plastic containers.
• Certain Similac powder product lines offered in sizes such as 8-ounce, 12.4-ounce and 12.9-ounce cans.
Holger Liepmann, executive vice president, Abbott Nutrition, said:
“Abbott understands that parents expect to feed their children only the highest quality product. We are taking this action so that parents know that the infant formula products they provide unquestionably meet the highest quality standards for which they are known. We regret any inconvenience this situation poses to parents and consumers.”
No Abbott liquid infant formulas are impacted and no other facilities or products are part of the recall.
To immediately find out if the product in your possession is included in this recall, parents and caregivers should visit www.similac.com/recall, and type in their lot number to determine if their product is affected, or call the consumer hotline at (800) 986-8850. The hotline is open 24/7.