Food safety issues persist at the Sturgis, Michigan plant where Similac powdered baby formula is made, according to a new report from ProPublica.
Do You Need a Cronobacter Lawyer?
Cronobacter Illnesses, Recall, Nationwide Shortage
Three years ago, production at the plant, which also makes Alimentum and EleCare, was temporarily paused after four infants who consumed formula made there developed Cronobacter infections. The plant’s temporary closure touched off a months-long, nationwide baby formula shortage.
Cronobacter bacteria live on dry foods, and their main vehicle of transmission is powdered infant formula. Often fatal among infants, Cronobacter infections can cause sepsis, meningitis, and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a condition that inflames intestinal tissue, causing it to die.
The illnesses in 2021 and 2022 were reported from three states: Minnesota (1), Ohio (2), and Texas (1). All of the babies were hospitalized, and Cronobacter may have contributed to the deaths of both infants from Ohio, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
After the illnesses were reported, Abbott Nutrition issued a recall for the products and temporarily closed the plant.
What Inspectors Found
During inspections in 2019, 2021, and 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found Cronobacter in “medium and high care areas” eight times. Standing water, a known breeding ground for bacteria, was a repeat violation. In 2022, Cronobacter turned up 20 times in samples from low, medium, and high-care areas.
Inspectors also cited:
- Employee hygiene issues such as failure to: wash hands, make sure gloves cover exposed skin of the wrists, and that shoes are cleaned before entering certain areas.
- Failure to keep dedicated equipment for liquid and dry areas, clean and in its dedicated area.
- Failure to maintain the building in a sanitary fashion and keep equipment in good condition.
The ProPublica Report
Current and former employees at the Sturgis plant said some employees take shortcuts cleaning equipment and testing for pathogens, according to the report. Sometimes, leaks aren’t fixed.
In one instance, an employee used a piece of cardboard from a trash bin to funnel coconut oil, a formula ingredient, into a tank of formula, the reports states.
One worker told the FDA about “persistent leaks” and “unaddressed contamination issues.” Water and chemicals sometimes pool on the floor.
A statement from Abbott is quoted in the story saying in part that the assertions are “untrue or misleading” and that, since 2022, the company has spent $60 million on upgrades and stationed multiple food-safety consultants there on weekdays.
Cronobacter Symptoms
In infants, symptoms of sepsis and meningitis include:
- Blotchy skin
- A pinprick rash
- High fever
- Shivering
- Fatigue
- Rapid breathing or difficulty breathing
- Unusual grunting sounds
- Refusal to eat
- Stiff jerky movements or a very floppy body
- Cold hands and feet
- Irritability
- Diarrhea
If your infant has these symptoms, seek medical help right away.
Product Liability Lawsuit
Our product liability lawyers have been successfully representing people injured or killed by unsafe products for the past 40 years. We hold the makers of unsafe products responsible and help victims and their families obtain full and fair compensation. In one of our lawsuits, we recovered $10 million for babies who contracted a mysterious illness after ingesting a medical product that was later recalled.
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