Health

Company Recalls 145,000 Cans Of Baby Formula Over Potentially Dangerous Bacteria

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Julianna Frieman Contributor
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Nutrition product producer Reckitt voluntarily recalled 145,000 cans of baby formula Monday due to potential cross-contamination with a dangerous bacteria, according to an announcement from the company posted on the FDA’s website.

Two batches of ProSobee 12.9 oz Simply Plant-Based Formula, manufactured between Aug. 2022 and Sept. 2022, were at risk of containing a bacteria called Cronobacter sakazakii, the company announced.

Retail stores in the U.S., Guam and Puerto Rico carried the recalled product, the announcement continued. The two recalled batches were identifiable by the number on the bottom of the can. (RELATED: FDA Announces Recall Of Valentine’s Chocolates Sold At Target)

There were no confirmed positive tests for contaminants, nor have any customers reported adverse reactions. The dominant formula company decided to voluntarily recall the product out of “an abundance of caution,” according to the announcement.

“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 a material from a third party. We have taken all appropriate corrective actions, including no longer sourcing this material from the supplier,” the company announcement said.

No other Reckitt products have been impacted and the situation was isolated, according to the statement.

Cronobacter sakazakii is a germ that lives in dry foods, such as powered infant formula and powdered milk. It lives on surfaces and can contaminate products at home or in a processing facility, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Infections may be life-threatening to infants, but are rare, according to the CDC.

A series of baby illnesses in 2022 was reportedly linked to a history of unsanitary conditions hospitable to the Cronobacter bacteria at the Abbott Nutrition facility in Sturgis, Michigan, where batches of previously recalled baby formula were produced.