PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Health authorities here have voluntarily recalled a number of United States manufactured baby formula brands even though Trinidad and Tobago was not included in the US Food and Drug Administration (FAD) recall notification advisory.
A statement from the Ministry of Health said that the Chemistry Food and Drugs Division (CFDD) has advised of the “voluntary” recall of the brands such as Similac, Alimentum and Elecare Powder from Abbottt Nutrition, an international manufacturer of baby formulas.
The Ministry of Health said it has engaged the local distributor to conduct a reconciliation exercise, adding “this was done in recognition of the complexity of the supply chain management for such items”.
The ministry said that while a “limited quantity of the recalled items were identified” here, the local distributor has since informed that it has received documentation from the international manufacturer advising of the “batch numbers of any of the recalled products which may have entered the domestic market”.
The ministry has called on persons who have bought the items “to discontinue use immediately and return the product to the point of purchase where possible”.
The recall by the FDA comes amidst reports of Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport infections in the US. Early symptoms of Cronobacter sakazakii infection may include, amongst others, fever, poor feeding, irritability, and fatigue/lethargy.
