FDA calls out Walmart, Target and Kroger for still selling a product recalled in multiple states
Major retail chains have been forced to recall several products in the past couple of years due to the risk of contamination and other health hazards. Recently, a baby formula made and sold by ByHeart was recalled over reports of botulism, but it turns out that Walmart, Target, and Kroger haven't stopped selling it. This is a serious lapse in ensuring consumer safety by the supermarket chains, since ByHeart had issued a recall of the product from all stores after the FDA had informed them about cases of botulism.
According to a report in the Miami Herald, the product went to several countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Israel, Jamaica, Peru, the Virgin Islands, Brunei, China, Egypt, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, and Thailand. The company could be staring at an international crisis thanks to this.
The least that one would expect after such an episode is that the product is removed from all stores, especially since there have been proven cases of botulism due to the baby formula. However, the report suggests that it has not been done by every retailer. It is, therefore, important for customers to be aware of the ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula and avoid it at all costs. If anyone has purchased it already, it is best to throw it away.
The fact that the product could still be found at certain stores was made public by the FDA in a recent report. “FDA has received reports that recalled formula is still being found on store shelves in multiple states, including at multiple Walmart, Target, and Kroger locations, and at one or more Sprouts Organic Market, Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, and Star Market locations. FDA is working with state partners and retailers to ensure an effective recall and immediate removal of these products from store shelves across the country,” a part of the report read.
After the recall, ByHeart is taking all steps possible to fix its wrongs. The first thing to do is figure out what the source of the contamination was. Tests on the recalled products confirmed the presence of Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin that causes botulism. However, it is still not how it might have found its way into the baby formula.
“As part of the investigation, ByHeart tested unopened infant formula products retained at its facility. According to ByHeart, third-party laboratory analysis of some of these samples identified Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin that is making infants sick in this outbreak. ByHeart states that it will continue to investigate these findings and perform ongoing testing to identify the source of contamination,” the FDA report added.
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