Abbott Nutrition recalls certain baby formula products over risk of spoilage

Abbott Nutrition issued a voluntary recall for some of its baby formula products on Friday over a risk of spoilage. 

Abbott said in a post on its website that it is recalling certain lots of its 2-fluid-ounce bottles of Ready-to-Feed liquid products for infants and children because a small percentage of the bottles have bottle caps that may not have sealed completely. 

Abbott said less than 1 percent of the bottles have the bottle cap issue. The bottles were manufactured at Abbott’s facility in Columbus, Ohio. 

The post states that the recalled amount is equal to less than one day’s worth of the total number of ounces of infant formula fed to babies in the United States and should not affect the overall national formula supply. 

Abbott issued a voluntary recall earlier this year of several of its powdered baby formula products following reports that four infants became ill with a rare infection after consuming the formula from Abbott’s Sturgis, Mich., plant. 

The recall contributed to a nationwide baby formula shortage that was fueled by supply chain issues as demand rose. 

Abbott said in the post that it is continuing to produce its Similac 2-fluid-ounce Ready-to-Feed liquid formula products for hospitals and health care providers’ offices on a different line. The company will continue to produce Similac infant formula in different sizes and formats for delivery to retail locations. 

The recalled products were primarily distributed to hospitals and some doctors’ offices, distributors and retailers in the United States. Many products were sent to Barbados, Jamaica, Bermuda, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, St. Croix and St. Thomas. 

“We take our responsibility to deliver high-quality products very seriously,” said Joe Manning, the executive vice president of nutritional products for Abbott. “We internally identified the issue, are addressing it, and will work with our customers to minimize inconvenience and get them the products they need.”