Status: Active
Date issued: 20 February 2022
Issued by: Adjunct Clinical Professor Brett Sutton, Chief Health Officer
Issued to: Victorian consumers and health professionals, including paediatricians and pharmacists
Key messages
- A food recall has been issued for three brands of infant formula: EleCare, Similac and Alimentum
- The recall is due to potential contamination with Cronobacter and Salmonella and may cause illness if consumed.
- Parents and caregivers should cease feeding with the affected products as soon as an alternative has been sourced. Medical advice on alternative products can be sought from your treating doctor or pharmacist.
- Salmonella infection can present with fever, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.
- Cronobacter infection in infants can present with fever, accompanied by poor feeding, crying, or very low energy. Cronobacter infection in infants can be fatal.
- Seek medical attention immediately if your baby develops any of the above symptoms. Infants or children may present to health services and emergency departments unwell if they have consumed affected formula.
- Health services and emergency departments should be alert for clinical presentations related to this recall. Medical professionals should manage the patient according to clinical presentation and seek paediatric or neonatal advice as required.
- Read the full advisory: Recall of infant formula, EleCare, Similac and Alimentum, due to potential microbial contamination