You probably noticed a spike in recalls of food and medication in recent months. It includes everything from Kellogg’s recall of Honey Smack’s cereal all the way down to blood pressure medications that were recalled because of a life-threatening mixup and a risk for cancer. The FDA also recalled thyroid medication nationwide because of the possibility of impurities.
This week we have another recall to add to the mix and it comes from the drugstore, CVS. They decided to pull a popular baby formula, Enfamil, off of the shelves.
This isn’t officially a recall but the drugstore is taking their own precautions after an alarming report. It came from a Florida mother who said that she bought formula from CVS and it had been tampered with.
The news reported that Allison Denning said the protective seal on the can seemed to have been tampered with. When she opened the tub she saw that the seal was broken and the powder had been replaced with another white substance. She said that it smelt like “typical baking flour.”
When the manufacturer and CVS found out about this potential tampering, they sent Denning a shipping box so it could be sent for testing. Initially, CVS had removed all Enfamil formula from the location where that particular can was purchased. They have now expanded the removal to include all stores nationwide.
“Enfamil powder is temporarily unavailable in our stores due to an internal review being conducted by CVS Pharmacy. Our store employees can assist customers with finding an alternative product in the meantime. We apologize for any inconvenience,” said in a statement to WFTS.
Dennings case is not the only time that Enfamil has reportedly been tampered with. It also happened when a child in Arizona was affected by Enfamil AR formula that had been tampered with. The formula was purchased from Walmart and it had been filled with flour after the formula was replaced.
“I was very scared,” Bellinger said. “As a first-time mom and her being this young, as a baby, you don’t know if they’re allergic or if her throat would’ve closed up from a gluten reaction.”
Another issue happened in Arizona in 2017. A baby became ill after consuming formula that had been replaced with flour and other substances. A 30-year-old woman has been charged with tampering in that case.
More information was available from the Facebook page of the Tucson Police Department: “Through the course of the investigation, detectives learned Ms. Laplante had purchased the baby formula, replaced the contents and returned the formula to the four stores initially provided for a refund.”
Both of the children who were affected are okay but that isn’t the case with everyone who has been a victim of product tampering. Manufacturers and stores will continue to investigate and parents are being urged to be extra careful.
If you have a child who drinks Enfamil it is not necessary to panic. The situation should be cleared up once CVS finishes testing the product and shares an update. The best thing for parents to do is to be vigilant when purchasing baby formula, regardless of whether it is Enfamil or another brand. Check the protective seal and verify that there is not an unusual appearance or smell of the product.
If you have any suspicions about the product, take it back to the store and alert the manufacturer. In that way, the store will be able to take the necessary steps to come up with a solution. If you have purchased Enfamil from CVS, you can call 1-800-BABY123 to report the problem.
