Abbott Laboratories has initiated a voluntary recall of certain lots of ready-to-feed liquid products for infants and children, including the brands Similac and Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution, due to faulty bottle caps, per a notice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Per the official recall, which was first announced on Oct. 14, less than 1% of the bottles in question may contain the defective caps. These bottles "may not have sealed completely, which could result in spoilage," the company said in a statement, adding that spoiled products, if consumed, can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.
The products outlined in the recall were manufactured at Abbott's Columbus, Ohio, manufacturing facility. They were distributed primarily to hospitals and to some doctors' offices, distributors and retailers in the U.S. The company noted that a single lot of products were sent to Barbados, Bermuda, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Croix and St. Thomas; Two lots were sent to Canada, Curacao, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago.
"This recall does not include any other liquid or powder formula brands or other nutrition products produced in our Columbus facility or elsewhere within our global nutrition manufacturing network," Abbott further specified. "It also does not include any amino acid-based formulas or metabolic nutrition formulas."
The company continued, "This recall equates to less than one day's worth of the total number of ounces of infant formula fed in the U.S. and is not expected to impact the overall U.S. infant formula supply." Abbott is continuing production of Similac infant formula and liquid formula products for hospitals and healthcare providers' offices on a different production line.
Abbott has advised all consumers to not use any of the products included in the recall.
For additional product questions, consumers should contact Abbott's Consumer Relations hotlines. For health-related and feeding-related questions, consumers should contact their child's healthcare provider or a healthcare professional.
"We take our responsibility to deliver high-quality products very seriously," said Joe Manning, the executive vice president of nutritional products at Abbott, in the announcement. "We internally identified the issue, are addressing it, and will work with our customers to minimize inconvenience and get them the products they need."
