Mead Johnson retests Enfamil batch and affirms no contamination

GLENVIEW, Ill. — Mead Johnson Nutrition over the holidays conducted a new round of testing on samples of a batch of Enfamil Premium Newborn powdered formula related to a Food and Drug Administration investigation.



Drawn from samples parallel to those being tested by public health officials and following the same methodology, the new testing did not detect any presence of Cronobacter (Enterobacter sakazakii), the company stated.



These new results reaffirm the testing conducted before the batch was made available to retailers and consumers. "Based on both sets of tests, Mead Johnson can say with confidence that Enfamil Premium Newborn formula, like every infant formula the company produces, is safe," the company said. "All Mead Johnson infant formulas undergo more than 2,300 quality tests and checks to ensure that they meet or exceed all standards set by regulatory bodies, including the World Health Organization and the U.S. FDA."



The company undertook the retesting due to confusion in the marketplace — both Supervalu and Walmart removed that product from their shelves following news reports of an infant's death. That infant had been fed the Enfamil product, however there has been no connection made between that product and the infant's death.



"Our company recently became aware of an infant’s death in Missouri. This infant tested positive for Cronobacter, which is a microorganism commonly found in the environment and sometimes implicated in rare but serious illnesses in newborn babies. We were informed that the infant had been fed one of our products," Mead Johnson stated following those news reports.

Interested in this topic? Sign up for our weekly DSN Collaborative Care e-newsletter.