Infant formula recall issued

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration recently announced a recall of certain lots of powdered infant formula, produced by Abbott Nutrition. Because the recalled formula may have been sold to consumers in Virginia, officials from the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are recommending that local families check their powdered formula and not use any products that were a part of the recalled batch.

This brand of formula is available for purchase in Virginia and covered by SNAP and WIC benefits.

The FDA advises consumers not to use Similac (including Advance, Total Comfort, Spit Up, and Sensitive), Alimentum, or EleCare powdered infant formulas if:

• the first two digits of the code are 22 through 37; and

• the code on the container contains K8, SH or Z2; and

• the expiration date is 4-1-2022 (April 2022) or later.

Products also may be checked by lot number here to to see if they are included in the recall.

Products that do not contain the information listed above are not impacted by the advisory.

The FDA is investigating complaints of four infant illnesses from three states, none of which were in Virginia. According to the FDA, the four cases under investigation resulted in hospitalizations and may have contributed to one death of an infant.

“We know that a recall of formula can put a strain on families, particularly when there have been supply shortages,” said Melissa Viray, acting director of RHHD. “We encourage families to check their formula and do not use any associated with the recall… our goal is to keep infants in our communities safe and healthy.”