FDA warns parents to avoid infant formula distributed by Texas company due to contamination
U.S. health officials have issued a warning for parents to avoid powdered infant formula produced by a Texas dairy company due to the discovery of dangerous bacteria in one of their products.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the alert on Friday, specifically targeting Crecelac Infant Powdered Goat Milk Infant Formula. This came after a sample from a Texas store tested positive for cronobacter, a bacterium that can cause deadly infections in infants. This same bacteria was responsible for recalls and shortages of infant formula in 2022 after it was found at a major U.S. formula factory.
Crecelac formula was imported and distributed by Dairy Manufacturers Inc., based in Prosper, Texas, according to the FDA. However, neither the FDA nor the company’s press releases specified the production location or the distribution range of the product in the U.S. The company did not immediately respond to messages left on Friday.
Last week, Dairy Manufacturers Inc. voluntarily recalled the Crecelac formula along with another brand, Farmalac, due to a lack of FDA approval for sale in the U.S. Infant formula distributors are required to submit data to FDA regulators demonstrating that their products meet U.S. food and nutritional standards.
Although testing of the Farmalac product did not detect cronobacter, the FDA still advises parents and caregivers to avoid using the formula.
Cronobacter can cause severe infections in infants, including blood infections, meningitis, and nervous system injuries. The bacteria are naturally found in the environment and can contaminate infant formula after packages are opened.
In 2022, FDA investigators shut down an Abbott formula plant in Sturgis, Michigan, following inspections that revealed widespread contamination linked to four infant illnesses and two deaths caused by cronobacter. This shutdown led to significant shortages of infant formula, prompting the FDA to allow imports from overseas manufacturers. Previously, the agency had restricted U.S. infant formula production to a few domestic manufacturers, including Abbott.
