U.S. health officials said they found no trace of Cronobacter, the bacteria that killed two infants in recent weeks, in sealed cans of Enfamil baby formula and that there was no need to recall the Mead Johnson Nutrition product.
Several department store chains, including Walmart, pulled the infant formula from their shelves after a 10 day-old baby, in Missouri, died from suspected Cronobacter bacteria, sometimes found in powdered milk-based formula.
A second baby has also died in Florida. That information was not available until last Friday when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an update. The report was released after samples, from the babies’ home and company facilities were taken for testing.
"Parents may continue to use powdered infant formula, following the manufacturer's directions on the printed label," the agencies said in a joint statement.
"We're pleased with the FDA and CDC testing, which should reassure consumers, health care professionals and retailers everywhere about the safety and quality of our products," Tim Brown, Mead Johnson's general manager for North America, said in a statement.
The Glenview, Illinois-based company added it undertook the highly unusual retesting due to continuing misinformation and confusion in the marketplace. Mead Johnson said it conducted a new round of rigorous testing on samples of a batch of Enfamil Premium Newborn powdered formula related to a U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) investigation.
Two more babies, one in Illinois and one in Oklahoma, also were reported with infections in recent weeks, but both have recovered.
The U.S. health agencies, which tested samples taken from several of the families' homes, said they found Cronobacter in an open container of infant formula, an open bottle of nursery water and prepared infant formula.
They said it was unclear how the contamination occurred, which suggests that it could have happened after the packages were opened. The agencies also said there was no evidence indicating that the infections were related.
The U.S. FDA and the U.S. CDC are seeking to determine the origin of the Cronobacter involved in the Missouri case and are expected to be testing a variety of possible environmental sources.
Mead Johnson has not had a recall, but has gone through many of the same steps, he said, such as working with the government, being transparent and communicating with retailers and the press.
Sources: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-12-31/business/ct-biz-1231-mead-johnson-20111231_1_cronobacter-enfamil-formula
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/272551/20111225/enfamil-recall-mead-johnson-infant-formula-wal.htm
