More real 丨 Abbott recalled "problem milk powder" in the United States, is China's product safe? What should consumers do?

True points:

1. Based on current information, the reported cases of infant deaths in the United States are likely to be caused by Abbott milk powder. Cronobacter sakazaki is very dangerous for babies, and infection may cause sepsis or meningitis, Salmonella may cause gastrointestinal diseases and fever, and severe cases can also lead to death.

2. Abbott milk powder that enters the country through the normal official import channels is not among the affected batches, but the Abbott milk powder purchased through channels such as "Haitao" and "Daigou" may have the risk of "being recruited", and it is necessary for consumers of Haitao Abbott milk powder to inquire whether it is in the "problem batch", and parents who have purchased the special medical product Xikang Baby Tim should also immediately suspend eating and pay close attention to the health status of their children.

Verifier: Yun Wuxin 丨 Doctor of Food Engineering

Abbott is a giant in the field of infant and toddler products and has always had a good image in the minds of consumers. Recently, they "voluntarily recalled" a number of milk powders in the United States, and the US FDA also issued an announcement warning consumers to "avoid buying certain milk powders produced at Abbott's Sturges, Michigan plant," including three brands of milk powder produced at the plant that expired later than April 1, 2022.

Subsequently, China Customs also issued a warning reminding consumers to "temporarily do not purchase through any channels" and "immediately suspend" the consumption of related infant and toddler products of Abbott in the United States.

What's going on? Let's elaborate on it below.

First, what is wrong with Abbott milk powder? Will products in China be affected?

According to the FDA announcement, four cases of infant infection with Cronobacter sakazaki and Salmonella were reported in three U.S. states (Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas), one of which died, suspected of being infection with Cronobacter sakazaki. The above four infants have all consumed Abbott's milk powder, which belongs to different Brands of Abbott, but is produced in the same factory. After fda, together with CDC and local regulators, conducted an investigation of the production plant, It detected C. sakazaki at the production site. In addition, the factory's internal records also show that the production environment has been found to be contaminated, as well as the destruction of products that test positive.

Although the investigation has not yet been completed, based on this information, it can be speculated that the accident is likely to be caused by Abbott milk powder. Abbott "voluntarily recalled" the affected products, while the FDA announcement detailed the batch number identification of the "problem milk powder", while stating that other products were not affected except for the formula milk powder containing the listed information, and clearly stated that "excluding liquid formula products and formulas with defective metabolic deficiencies" and "consumers can continue to use all products not listed". These "affected products" are directed to the markets of the United States and other countries, and have not entered China through import channels. However, the special medical product Xikang Baotian baby nutritional supplements for special medical purposes produced by the enterprises involved have a record of export to China, and Abbott China has initiated an independent recall.

Does this mean that the milk powder purchased by domestic consumers at Abbott is safe? Not. These "affected products" just did not enter China through the normal official import channels, and in reality, there are still channels such as "cross-border e-commerce", "sea shopping" and "purchasing", and some consumers may buy these products in the US market through these channels, and they will face the risk of "being recruited". It is not easy for consumers to understand and identify which product batches are within the "affected" range. The advice of China Customs to "temporarily not purchase through any channel" is to warn consumers to temporarily refuse to buy relevant products from a "conservative" point of view and avoid "recruitment".

Second, what are the hazards of the two bacteria detected?

Of the four cases reported so far, 3 are of Cronobacter sakazaki. Cronobacter sakazaki is a pathogenic bacterium that has only recently been recognized by humans and was only officially identified in the 1980s. The bacteria are very dangerous for babies, and may cause sepsis or meningitis after infection, and symptoms may include loss of appetite, irritability, changes in body temperature, jaundice, snoring, and abnormal movements. In addition, its infection can also lead to intestinal damage and spread through the blood to other parts of the body. And after infection, it is easy to worsen, eventually leading to death.

Salmonella is a very common pathogenic bacterium that can cause gastrointestinal disorders and fever. Patients with salmonellosis usually develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, and more severely, high fever, pain, headache, drowsiness, rash, blood in the urine, blood in the stool, etc., and the most serious may also lead to death.

Third, in the face of such an accident, what should consumers do?

As far as Abbott's accident is concerned, the impact on Chinese consumers should be relatively limited. If it is Abbott milk powder purchased in the domestic official channels, these milk powders are not within the suspected scope of "problem milk powder". If it is really "Haitao" who "purchased" Abbott milk powder, you can also go to the FDA website to check the batch information [1]. Of course, if you are not sure or uneasy, it is more "insurance" to stop eating all "Abbott related infant and toddler products" according to the customs advice. If you have already given your child Abbott milk powder from "Haitao", it is necessary to check whether it is in the "problem batch", pay close attention to the child's health status, and if there is a symptom listed above, quickly send it to the hospital for examination. Parents who have purchased the special medical product Xikang Baby Tim should also immediately suspend eating, pay attention to the recall information and the health of their children.

In countries around the world, the production of baby food has higher safety standards, and the probability of accidents is lower than that of ordinary food. However, "0 risk" can only be the goal of hard work, and there will still be accidents that appear inadvertently. For consumers, trying to buy products through formal channels can obtain relevant information earlier and more accurately when there is a problem with the product, whether it is a recall or a rights protection, it is more secure. Channels such as "Haitao" and "Purchasing Agent", even if the intermediary is a product purchased overseas through standardized channels, there are time, space and language barriers when they are handed over to domestic consumers, and once they encounter problems, it is difficult to deal with the aftermath and protect rights.

This article was edited by Ambergchen

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