The Unified Government Public Health Department is providing additional details about the ongoing recall of several Similac powdered baby formula products, and urged parents and caregivers to immediately check any products they have before giving them to infants.
The products being recalled are all manufactured by Abbott. This recall is specific to three powdered baby formulas: Similac, Alimentum and EleCare.
According to the manufacturer’s recall announcement, these products are being recalled after the company received four consumer complaints related to Cronobacter sakazakii or Salmonella Newport in infants who had consumed powdered infant formula manufactured in a facility located in Sturgis, Michigan. The recall does not include any metabolic deficiency nutrition formulas.
What parents and caregivers should do
According to the manufacturer’s recall notice, the products under recall have a multidigit number on the bottom of the container, starting with the first two digits 22 through 37, containing K8, SH or Z2 and with an expiration date of April 1, 2022, or after.
To find out if the product you have is included in this recall, visit the Abbott Product Recall Tool (https://www.similacrecall.com/us/en/home.html) and type in the code on the bottom of the package, or call +1-800-986-8540 (U.S.) and follow the instructions provided. No action is needed for previously consumed product. If you have questions about feeding your child, contact your healthcare professional.
If a baby formula product you purchased is part of this recall, return to the store where you purchased the formula and ask for a refund or exchange.
Some product was distributed to countries outside the U.S. A list of these products can be found at the Abbot Product Recall Tool.
Specific instructions for Wyandotte County residents
In addition to the overall recall information, the Unified Government Public Health Department also issued guidance specifically for parents and caregivers in Wyandotte County:
• Any Wyandotte County residents who have recently received goods from the Healthy Families Wyandotte program, which included small packets of formula, should immediately check those items to make sure they are not among the recalled products.
• The Kansas Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program has approved a list of products that can replace recalled product. WIC participants can purchase these products using their WIC card to replace any recalled products.
- Story from Janell Friesen, Health Department public information officer