Infant formula recalled over salmonella infection concerns

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has called on South Africans in possession of Similac Alimentum 400G infant formula to immediately discontinue the use of the product and return it where it was purchased for a full refund.

This after the supplier informed the commission of the precautionary recall of Similac Alimentum in South Africa, said acting commissioner Thezi Mabuza on Tuesday.

“We know parents depend on us to provide them with the highest quality nutrition formulas,” said Joe Manning, executive vice president, nutritional products, Abbott in a statement last week.

“We’re taking this action so parents know they can trust us to meet our high standards, as well as theirs. We deeply regret the concern and inconvenience this situation will cause parents, caregivers and health care professionals.”

According to Mabuza, the product is manufactured at their plant in Sturgin, MI, in the United States of America and was imported to South Africa and other countries.

The supplier confirmed to the commission that the recall was prompted by consumers who reported that their infants presented some symptoms after ingesting the formula in the USA.

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According to Abbott Laboratories, while only four cases were reported in the USA, the presence of Cronobacter and Salmonella in an infant formula is a cause for concern.

“As the Commission, we want to emphasise that while there are no cases reported in South Africa as yet, we urge consumers who might have bought this product not to feed their infants but to immediately return it to the point of purchase for a full refund,” said Mabuza.

Consumers are urged to return the Similac Alimentum 400g infant formula, batch number 27938z26, manufactured on 26 March 2021, with the expiry date of 01 April 2023.

“Ingesting Salmonella may lead to diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps, while Cronobacter infection may also cause damage to the bowel system. We therefore encourage parents who have concerns that they might have fed their infants the product in question to seek medical attention. The Consumer Protection Act (CPA) provides for safety of consumers at all times, and minors are regarded among the most vulnerable consumers. We appreciate the precautionary recall by the supplier, however producers/manufacturers are required to supply or distribute goods that are safe and of good quality to avoid these mishaps. The Commission is monitoring the recall based on its Recall Guidelines,” said Mabuza.

Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde