Powdered baby formula recalled due to worries over salmonella

Shoppers Drug Mart is recalling certain Abbott baby formula products due to possible Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella contamination.

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), “the products were previously recalled on February 17, 2022 and some units were sold via on-line in error.”

The following are the affected products:

• Similac Advance Step 1 Milk-Based Iron-Fortified Infant Formula Powder
• Similac Advance Step 2 Milk-Based Iron-Fortified and Calcium-Enriched Infant Formula Powder
• Similac Alimentum Step 1 Hypoallergenic Infant Formula Powder
• Similac Advance Step 2 Milk-Based Iron-Fortified and Calcium-Enriched Infant Formula Powder

The CFIA tells consumers to check for any recalled products, do not use the listed products, and contact a doctor if anyone becomes sick.

“Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections,” says the CFIA.

Related links:

• Abbott restarts baby formula plant linked to contamination

• ‘We were down to one bottle:’ Baby formula shortage forces U.S. mom to get supply from B.C.

Recently, the B.C. government took steps to protect their baby formula supplies.

The Ministry of Health gave guidelines to pharmacies to ensure they keep certain specialized infant formulas behind their counters.

“There is a shortage of specialized hypoallergenic infant formulas for babies with food allergies and certain medical conditions. This includes extensively hydrolyzed formulas and amino acid-based formulas,” said a Ministry of Health statement.

It said that these specialized hypoallergenic formulas are exclusively available to pharmacies “until the supply stabilizes.”

“This temporary shortage is affecting all of Canada. It was caused by Abbott’s interim closure of its formula manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Mich., and voluntary recall of certain formulas produced there,” the ministry said.

Last month, one Washington mother said she had to contact family in Vancouver to deliver baby formula during a critical shortage.

“We were actually freaking out a little bit. Again, we’re new parents and we’re just getting used to how much baby eats and drinks per day and we didn’t realize how fast he goes through it, so we thought we were good for like a month, but it turns out, it was not. It kind of seemed a little bit too late when we realized that we need to go out and get some because they are literally off the shelves. We just didn’t know how to deal with it knowing that our baby relies on formula sometimes because I cannot produce enough milk. Thankfully, I have family in Canada.,” said Hannah (who prefers not to use her last name).

Hannah said they checked online, looked at retail giants such as Amazon and Walmart, but still couldn’t find anything.

“They were selling them for like $250 a box American and then in Canada, they were selling them for a box of 24, it was like $40 Canadian,” Hannah said.

She added her family was able to pick up two cases and drive it across the border after running out of formula.

With files from Sonia Aslam

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