Abbott Baby Formula Recall: Toss Out These Similac Bottles Immediately

The Abbott food brand is initiating a voluntary recall of certain 2 fluid ounce/59 milliliter bottles of Ready-to-Feed baby formula products for infants and children. The recall includes the brands Similac® Pro-Total ComfortTM, Similac® 360 Total Care®, Similac 360 Total Care Sensitive, Similac® Special Care® 24, Similac Stage 1, Similac® NeoSure®, Similac Water (Sterilized) and Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution.

All of the products came from the same Columbus, Ohio, processing plant. The recall is happening because a small percentage of the affected bottles (less than one percent) contain bottle caps that were not sealed correctly. An improper seal can result in spoilage, so Abbott is recalling the entire lot to be safe. Experts warn that consumption of spoiled products can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.

Luckily, the amount of recalled product is low enough to not affect the overall supply of formula in the U.S. in a meaningful way. The majority of affected product was delivered to hospitals and doctor’s offices in the U.S., but some of the product did travel internationally. According to Abbott, one lot of products was sent to Barbados, Bermuda, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Croix and St. Thomas; and two lots were sent to Canada, Curacao, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago.

If you’re unsure whether your product meets the threshold for recall, please visit similacrecall.com to view a list of impacted lot numbers or use the lot number checker on the webpage.

“We take our responsibility to deliver high-quality products very seriously,” said Joe Manning, executive vice president, nutritional products, Abbott. “We internally identified the issue, are addressing it, and will work with our customers to minimize inconvenience and get them the products they need.”

The company does not plan on ramping back production of Similac products nor stopping the sale of unaffected lots of formula.

If you have questions in the U.S., contact Abbott’s Consumer Relations hotlines at 1-800-986-8540.