The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent warning letters to four major retailers for continuing to sell baby formula linked to a nationwide outbreak of bacterial illness in infants, even after the products were recalled, the health regulator’s website showed on Monday.
Walmart, Target, Kroger and Albertsons kept the recalled ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula on store shelves even after being notified of the recall in November, the FDA said in the letters dated December 12.
The bacterial illness, called infant botulism, occurs when babies ingest spores of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which can grow in their immature digestive systems and produce toxin. Symptoms include constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control and difficulty in swallowing. In severe cases, infants can develop breathing problems.
As of last week, an outbreak of the illness has sickened 51 infants across 19 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The affected babies ranged in age from about two weeks to nearly nine months.
ByHeart initially recalled certain lots of its formula last month, then expanded the recall three days later to include all its infant formula products. The recall covered both cans and single-serve stick packs.
At Walmart, recalled products were found in stores across 21 states.
In a letter to Target, the health regulator said officials in Arkansas found the company offering a $2 discount on the recalled formula from November 16 to November 22. Target had the formula in stores across 20 states.
Store employees gave various explanations for the products remaining on shelves, including lack of awareness about the recall, confusion over which products were affected, and failure to remove all impacted items, the FDA said.
The FDA has given the retailers 15 working days to explain what steps they have taken to prevent similar violations in the future. The agency warned that failure to address the issue could result in legal action including product seizures.
