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A bottle of Similac Pro-Total Comfort
Abbott

Abbott Announces New Baby Formula Recall Due To Spoilage Concerns

But don’t panic, this latest recall is unlikely to contribute to the kind of national crisis we saw earlier this year.

by Jamie Kenney

On Oct. 14, Abbott Nutrition issued a voluntary recall of some of its ready-to-feed liquid products. Manufactured at the company’s Columbus, Ohio facility, products were distributed mainly to hospitals, doctors’ offices, and distributors in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). However, some retailers have been affected in the U.S., as well as in Canada, Colombia, and throughout Caribbean. But while some parents of infants may be fearful of another formula shortage, the scale and scope of this latest recall is unlikely to contribute to the kind of national crisis we saw earlier this year; no powder formulas were affected.

A full list of recalled products can be found on Abbot’s website SimilacRecall.com. According to a statement issued by the company, these products — certain lots of 2 fluid ounce bottles including the brands Similac Pro-Total Comfort, Similac 360 Total Care, Similac 360 Total Care Sensitive, Similac Special Care 24, Similac Stage 1, Similac Water (Sterilized), Similac NeoSure, and Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution — are being recalled because a small percentage of bottles in the recalled lots have caps that may not have sealed completely. This could result in spoilage which, in turn, could cause gastrointestinal issues for babies, including diarrhea and vomiting.

To identify if your product is included in the recall, locate the lot number printed on the bottom of the bottle or on the side of the label and check them against those included in the recall here.

Lot numbers can be found on the bottle itself as well as the label.Abbott

Products affected by country are as follows:

  • United States: Certain lots of Similac 360 Total Care, Similac 360 Total Care Sensitive, Similac Special Care 24, Similac Pro-Total Comfort, Similac NeoSure, Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution
  • Canada: One lot of Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution; 1 lot of Similac Water (Sterilized)
  • Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Curacao, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica: One lot of Similac 360 Total Care Sensitive
  • Puerto Rico, Curacao, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Haiti, St. Thomas, St. Croix: One lot of Similac 360 Total Care
  • Panama: Two lots of Similac Pro-Total Comfort
  • Dominican Republic: One lot of Similac Stage 1
  • Colombia: One lot of Similac Stage 1

This recall follows a much larger action from Abbott earlier this year, when cases of bacterial infections from Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport were linked to products manufactured at its facility in Sturgis, Michigan. Fortunately the brands affected in the last Abbott recall are not included this time around and neither have any powdered formulas produced by the company. Moreover, a spokesperson for the company told CNN that this recall comprises “less than a day’s worth” of the total infant formula used in the U.S. and should therefore not affect national supply.

“Ensuring the quality of our products and the safety of our consumers is our top priority, and a responsibility we take very seriously,” the company wrote in a statement, “including taking action when a product doesn’t meet our quality standards.”

Consumers can reach Abbott by phone at 1-800-986-8540 (and 1-787-622-5454 in Puerto Rico). If your product was not included in the recall, no action is required and you can confidently use it to feed your baby.