Abbott recalls Similac baby formula

Abbott recalls Similac infant formula

Abbott Laboratories said on Wednesday that they are recalling about 5 million cans and plastic containers of Similac-brand infant formula because of a possible beetle contamination.

“Abbott is recalling these products following an internal quality review, which detected the remote possibility of the presence of a small common beetle in the product in one production area in a single manufacturing facility,” a company statement said.

A small common beetle was found in their product which was manufactured in Sturgis, Michigan, according to Melissa Brotz, spokeswoman for Abbott Labs.

Abbott has stopped producing the product after the discovery of the insect, and informed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue the recall.

Similac product lines which are affected include 8-ounce, 12.4-ounce, and 12.9-ounce cans. Only powdered formula is being recalled and no liquid formula products are included.

The beetle can cause discomfort and loss of appetite in infants if ingested, according to the FDA.

Abbott said that there is no immediate health threat to infants and said that the company is “implementing a plan to address this matter.”

The Michigan plant is undergoing fumigation that will last for three days, the FDA said.

“Parents place a lot of trust in Similac, and delivers anything less than the highest quality formula is unacceptable to us. That's why we're initiating the recall,” said Abbott spokeswoman Melissa Brotz.

The whole United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and a few Carribean countries are affected by the recall.

For more information, Brotz said that parents and caregivers can log on to www.similac/recall10, or call their hotline number, (800) 986-8850, which is available 24 hours a day.

Posted by George Daniels on Thursday September 23 2010, 8:59 AM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0