Pretoria - The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has advised consumers in possession of Similac Alimentum 400g infant formula to immediately discontinue use of the product and return it to the point of sale for a full refund.
Acting Commissioner Thezi Mabuza said the supplier informed the Commission of the precautionary recall of Similac Alimentum in South Africa.
The recall comes after certain powdered infant formula products produced by Abbott Nutrition were found to have harmful bacteria and was discovered at a manufacturing plant in the United States.
“The manufacturer, Abbott Laboratories-Nutrition, informed the Commission of a voluntary recall following a global recall as announced by the supplier.
“The supplier confirmed that the recall was prompted by consumers who reported that their infants presented some symptoms after ingesting the formula,” Mabuza said in a statement.
Mabuza said internal tests by the supplier confirmed the presence of Cronobacter and salmonella microorganisms in the product.
Ingesting salmonella may lead to diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps, while Cronobacter infection may also cause damage to the bowel system.
The recall only impacts products produced at a plant in Sturgis, Michigan.
Formulas manufactured at this plant are exported across the world, with notices issued to more than 40 countries.
Mabuza said no cases have been reported in South Africa yet.
Consumers are urged to look for the following product description to determine whether the products form part of the recall.
Product Name: Similac Alimentum 400g Infant Formula
Batch Number: 27938z26 and 29284Z26
Manufacturing date: March 2021 and May 2021
Exp date: 01 April 2023 and 01 June 2023
“We therefore encourage parents who have concerns that they might have fed their infants the product in question to seek medical attention,” Mabuza added.
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