NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The country’s local food safety agency is urging consumers to be on the lookout for infant formulas sold by Similac or its affiliated brands due to possible contamination by bacteria.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to use Similac, Alimentum or EleCare powdered infant formulas made at Michigan facility, Abbott Nutrition, amid an investigation into four infant illnesses.
Parents are being advised to discard the formulas if the first two digits of the code are 22 through 37, the code on the container contains K8, SH, or Z2, and the expiration date is 4-1-2022 (APR 2022) or later.
Dr Patricia Johnson, director of Food Safety and Quality at Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA) said: “When a recall like that happens we are not absolutely sure the product is here unless they would have verified that themselves by checking the EZT code.
“Usually with a recall they would identify the product with the EZT code so that persons are able to tell whether or not the product was imported into the country. If you believe you have purchased any of those recall items you can even take those back to the company you purchased it form to see if you can get a reimbursement and notify them that it would have been a product that would have been recalled as well or just throw it out.”
Johnson said: “We don’t have any system that can identify that other than the actual distributors. If they would have received that they would have been notified by the company from whom they would have purchased those items if they were directly purchased from those who make the formula. Our distributors should know or should be notified if any of those items would have been received by them as well.”
Similac infant formula is distributed in The Bahamas by Nassau Agencies Ltd. Company.
The company did not return calls for comment on the issue yesterday; however, a representative did confirm that the company had been in communication with Abbott.
Back in 2010 Abbott Laboratories voluntarily recalled some 5 million containers of its popular powdered Similac infant formula after finding evidence that beetles had possibly contaminated it.
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