Yes, potentially contaminated Gerber baby formula was sent to stores after recall issued

In March, a specific type of Gerber baby formula was recalled due to the potential presence of a bacteria that can cause serious illness in some infants.

Now some social media posts claim that the potentially contaminated formula was sent to stores after the recall was first issued. Online searches show that some people are wondering if these claims are true.

THE QUESTION

Was potentially contaminated Gerber baby formula sent to stores after a recall was issued?

THE SOURCES

• U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc.
• Perrigo

THE ANSWER

Yes, potentially contaminated Gerber baby formula was sent to stores in eight states after a recall was issued.

WHAT WE FOUND

Potentially contaminated Gerber baby formula was sent to supermarkets in eight states after a recall alert was issued in March.

On March 17, Perrigo, the third-largest manufacturer of infant formula in the U.S. and Canada, issued a voluntary recall of certain lots of its Gerber Good Start SoothePro powdered infant formula in the U.S. The company recalled the product out of an abundance of caution due to the potential presence of Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria.

Cronobacter sakazakii is a germ found naturally in the environment. It can cause serious illness, primarily among infants younger than 2 months old, and those who are born premature, have weakened immune systems or are of low birth weight, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Cronobacter infections are rare, but they can be life-threatening in newborns. Infections in infants usually occur in the first days or weeks of life,” the CDC says on its website.

Cronobacter illness in infants usually starts with a fever and poor feeding, excessive crying or very low energy. Some infants may also have seizures. If your infant is displaying any of these symptoms, the CDC says you should take them to a doctor as soon as possible.

In its March 17 recall notice, Perrigo said the formula was manufactured at the company’s Eau Claire, Wisconsin facility from Jan. 2, 2023, to Jan. 18, 2023. The recalled formula was sold in three different sizes at retailers nationwide.

The company noted that no distributed product had tested positive for the presence of the bacteria, no adverse events had been reported and no other products manufactured at the facility or any of Perrigo’s other facilities were affected. Click here for more information about the recalled products.

Nearly two months after the initial recall notice was published, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc., a cooperative food wholesaler that distributes products to independently owned supermarkets, released an additional notice on May 13, which was shared by the FDA. 

The new notice stated that one of the recalled products had been distributed from the company’s Nashville Division to stores in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia after the initial recall began. Some of the stores listed in the notice include Buehler’s, Cash Saver, Food City, Food Giant and Piggly Wiggly locations.

The recalled formula that was distributed by Associated Wholesale Grocers displays the following lot codes and “use by” dates, which can be found on the bottom of the package.

Gerber® Good Start® SootheProTM 12.4 oz:

• 300357651Z – USE BY 04JUL2024
• 300457651Z – USE BY 05JUL2024
• 300557651Z – USE BY 06JUL2024
• 300557652Z – USE BY 06JUL2024
• 300757651Z – USE BY 08JUL2024
• 300857651Z – USE BY 09JUL2024
• 301057651Z – USE BY 11JUL2024
• 301057652Z – USE BY 11JUL2024
• 301157651Z – USE BY 12JUL2024

People who purchased the recalled formula should discontinue use and dispose of the product immediately. Associated Wholesale Growers and Perrigo say consumers can request refunds by contacting the Gerber Parent Resource Center at 1-800-777-7690.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.