'Less than 5 million units' of Similac powdered infant formula pulled
Article Source: msnbc.com
from:msnbc.comBeetle-tainted baby formula recalled
Seeded on Wed Sep 22, 2010 3:00 PM EDT (msnbc.com)
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Let me guess. One of the ingredients that had the beetle parts probably came from China. The article doesn't say that, but so many of our ingredients are coming from China.
Try Japan actually, the parts probably came from the Popillia japonica I believe, however I could be mistaken. At least it wasn't bedbugs!
Sounds like a really good reason to choose breastfeeding, barring any maternal health or support issues.
and what about women who's milk stops early? you have no choice
Breastmilk supply is driven by demand. The more you nurse, the more you make. There are also many ways to increase supply: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html Most of the time when a woman's supply dips, it is because she has gotten poor advice, like nursing the baby only every 2 hours instead of on demand, supplementing with bottles (which send a signal to the body that not as much is needed, so supply drops), the woman's doctor prescribes hormonal birth control which interferes with production.
This is exactly what I meant when I said "support issues" above. If more woman knew that the way to surge their supply was to just nurse, nurse, nurse that baby, there would be a lot more successful breastfeeding women.
some women do not have a choice from the start, my milk never came in at all.
Mine never came in either. Every body is different and nursing is not always possible even if you try to nurse on demand. I tried and tried, but it never worked!
Sorry it didn't work for you. There are some things that can interfere with milk coming in, such as not being allowed to have a natural 3rd stage of pregnancy (placenta delivery) such as in a C-section, the lack of hormone surge can interfere with establishing supply, the baby drowsy from maternal epidural or other drugs given during labor, etc.
1% of the population has physiological issues preventing breastfeeding (covered under the "maternal health" comment above). 25% of babies are fed formula from day 1, and 50% by the time they are 6 months old. This billion dollar industry is not exclusively supported by those unable to breastfeed.
If I were unable to breastfeed, I would use donated milk before formula. Milkshare is a great way to meet donars.
yes, and milkshare is also a great way of having absolutley no idea of what the person donating that milk is eating or drinking before pumping it.
i just LOVE arrogant, know-it-all LLL militants that think they know everything about every situation concerning women's breastmilk.
Some people will just always come up with an excuse as to why they "couldn't" do it. Milk can be tested - and these are unpaid volunteers committed to helping children. People request (and get) milk from people who eliminate dairy/gluten/peanuts from their diet for the donated milk.
You can lead a horse to water, but it seems this crowd is happier drinking bugs ... so peace - I'm DONE.
here is the direct link
http://similac.com/recall/lookup.aspx
if you make a mistake and enter a number that isnt a real lot number it tells you its not recalled, so how can you trust them? also, the recording on the 800 number says backslash, fortunately the link is forwarded to the correct address.
http://similac.com/recall/lookup.aspx
I can't get either of the links to work. Anyone know of a posted listing?
The phone# has been busy.....I saw where someone posted that a lot of the T2's had been recalled and that's what both of my containers have on them.....of course! aaaggghh...
This is one of the lot numbers...88104t20
OMG this is crazy!I just had a baby 11 weeks ago and my baby drinks this product!Now I will stop using it and use another kind!makes me sick to my stomach thinking that my baby was drinking insect parts!Gross!There will be alot of lawsuits going on and I will actually be talking to my lawyer asap aswell!
You also have the option of relactating and giving your baby breastmilk. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html
Jen-965135, as stated above, breastfeeding is not an option for everyone!
Frankly I'm a bit perplexed by your comment, SDS-2043699. Is there a reason why you don't want women to know they may have other options? It may work for some, it may not, but given the choice of feeding your child bugs or breastmilk, I know what I'd try.
All of the milk donors I know are very careful about what they consume, and committed to babies' health. Women who are educated beforehand about the benefits of breastfeeding are statistically far more likely to breastfeed successfully, so that is why so many of us 'Militants' raise our voices whenever we can. We hope that by explaining that the more you nurse your baby the more milk you will produce, future moms will have an easier time all round.
Same here, OMG, this makes me sick. I have a new granddaughter born to soon who has been on this for two weeks now.
You really can't trust any companies anymore. So sad
Breastmilk never has ground up beetles in it.
Smile if you breastfeed. Panic if you don't.
While true, that sounds like a great start for a scene for a horror movie .... except the beetles are whole and ALIVE!!! Mwah ha ha.
This is absolutely horrible and disgusting! If we can not trust baby items, then how will we be able to trust anything you can buy at a store? Baby products should be the safest most trust-able products ever made. As a parent of a 5 month old daughter I am very worried and concerned! What am I supposed to do know that my daughters formula is no longer safe? I think that people need to put more time and effort into their job, or just not work!
we have been using similac and when we went to find a web site, we cant find one and funny how the phone number just rings busy. think they really dont want to recall this product
What concerns me is that the press release makes it sound like the containers affected were only the specific sizes called out. I purchased mine at Costco, they're over 2 pounds, and they're recalled. Similac should have also had a few different sites set up...it's taken hours to find out if our formula was recalled, and the phone lines were also tied up.
"Abbott expects to lose $100 million in connection with the recall. "
As they should. But I have to wonder, wouldn't it be cheaper in the long run to better monitor the cleanliness of their factories/suppliers/product in the first place? I would think that a small fraction of $100 million would buy a lot of quality control infrastructure that was apparently lacking at the company. Sadly, it's another shining example of short-sighted corporate greed. I'm sure a middle manager or two will be symbolically sacrificed in the aftermath, but we all know that the real culprit resides in the CEO chair, and that person will probably get a bonus and more stock options for cleaning up the mess that their mismanagement created.
Sigh...
Human beings are prone to error no matter how many safe guards are put in place. Mother nature makes the safest, purist infant food. In countries that really promote and support breastfeeding the breastfeeding rates are 98%. How come in the US only ~ 75% of women even try breastfeeding and then that # drops to 43% at 6 months? What are other countries doing right that we are not?
The way this is being handled is completely unacceptable. I can not get on the website to check lot numbers and I can not get through on the phone. The hotline "encourages" you to call back at a later time and then hangs up on you!! I'm very angry and of course have just cut the formula out completely anyway but this is just not acceptable to me as a parent or consumer. I will be sure to never use Similac or any other products from Abbott Nutrition in the future and will "encourage" everyone else I know to refrain as well.
As mother of two year, and seing of some of the things he eatten this just doesn't bother me..It is digusting and God knows what else has been throw in there.. I sure hate how people make this breast feeding debate when breast feeding is personal choice that no one but your self should have influence over. So shut up breast feeding better or formula. By the way Nestle is good brand switch to if you use formula it has less complaints better access to it ingredients.
Agree! It is nasty to think our babies are potentially drinking bugs, but boycotting a product and maker is absurd. Doesn't everyone realize what gets into our foods everywhere? I agree on the get off the breast feeding push here ladies. What do you say to those of us who adopted a newborn? How exactly do you impose your philosophy on us? Formula is our only option and when you have a child who has only accepted one of these Similac brands without serious reaction, what is your solution? I can't just decide to breastfeed my little one.
Nestle has a long history of providing free formula in countries with unsanitary water supplies. Breastfeeding is stopped, formula is started, and then the child becomes ill because they have no clean water to mix it with. If I had to use formula, Nestle is the LAST company I'd use. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott
Nestle isn't the only baby milk company advertising to the third world!
It sounds like the company is doing all they can to rectify the situation. Mostly, I'm surprised to hear that there may be digestion problems associated with a small amount of beetles as insects are generally nutritious if a bit unappetizing- maybe it's because children that young should only be eating milk?
Mine never came in either. Every body is different and nursing is not always possible even if you try to nurse on demand. I tried and tried, but it never worked!
For all you gloating mothers who breast feed, us single dads do not have that option. I am quite concerned for my child's health, thank you very much.
Exactly. I have a friend who lost his wife shortly after the birth of their child. What is he supposed to do? And-oh-by-the-way, Milkshare and other such programs aren't available everywhere.
For the record, I did nurse my son, but I would NEVER attempt to make someone feel inferior because they chose not to (or didn't have the choice) by constantly making little comments and jabs at every turn.
Milkshare is an online community, with many donors willing to ship the milk anywhere. http://milkshare.birthingforlife.com/
I have no interest in making anyone giving formula feel inferior, and I don't advocate patting nursing Moms on the back. I do believe providing breastfeeding information and options to those interested could increase breastfeeding rates, and thus minimize the number of children affected by formula recalls.
And, for the record, my first son had formula, so no basis for any gloating here.
Get off your high horse Jen. All of your "fabulous" resources aren't available to everyone. You come off as a patronizing you-know-what.
As a mother who did breast feed I'm ashamed at those women who stand on a dias and preach to others trying to shame them for using formula. Back off for pete's sake. It's a choice and if it's not your child, not your's to make!
That being said, the people that should be chastized are 1)the companies allowing contaminates into infants food supply and 2)the FDA for not being more zealous in their inspections. Didn't they (we) learn anything a few years ago with the plastics being in infant formula?
What the hell are you getting paid for if not to ensure the quality of the food getting into the American diet BEFORE it's ingested?
All of the milk donors I know are very careful about what they consume, and committed to babies' health. Women who are educated beforehand about the benefits of breastfeeding are statistically far more likely to breastfeed successfully, so that is why so many of us 'Militants' raise our voices whenever we can. We hope that by explaining that the more you nurse your baby the more milk you will produce, future moms will have an easier time all round.
I guess you can have only so much protein in baby formula and this pushed it over?
There are so many known carcinogen and know neurological damaging chemicals in the environment that babies are exposed to in your home everyday, a few beetle particles sound almost benign. I suppose if someone actually manufactured and sold beetle parts, say as part of a cleaning fluid or bug spray, there would be a well organized lobby in place to keep this sort of thing from happening or at least getting any real publicity.
This whole thing is part of a charade to make us thing someone is protecting us.
Nobody is, really. Figure it out for yourselves.
I don't understand why people get up in arms about this when red lake 40 and several other food colorings that are EXTREMELY COMMON in everything from candy and juice to strawberry milk have been made from ground up cochineal beetles for years. You almost cannot find a deeply red colored food product that is not produced with a dye derived from these beetles.
I have a problem with those out there who criticize those who CHOOSE to NOT breastfeed! What makes those of you more important to your child than those who do not! My granddaughter has thrived on formula! She is 2 years 9 months old & is smart as a whip! She was given powder with DHA-ARA & now, she drinks Horizon Omega3-DHA. She is healthy & happy. It is not my or my daughters' desire to breastfeed. All I ask of those of you who choose to breastfeed, take the child to a quiet place & COVER YOURSELF UP! Yes, we know you are doing something good for your child. But, those of us who prefer to give our child/grandchild a bottle, don't need you telling us we are horrible people because we do this. Formula today is very advanced & it is getting more so all the time. I like mixing the powder because you don't have to worry that it is fresh or not. Pumping & having to store it, or whatever you do, seems to be such a hassle! As for the recall, I hope all the little ones out there are doing fine. Hang in there, moms, Grandma's/Grandpa's, dads.
Jen-965135,
This is a terrible thing that has happened, but this is not the time to hop up on your soapbox and preach to people about breastfeeding. These people are already freaked out enough without having to "hear" you preaching.
I have 3 children, but only breastfed one. The one I did breastfeed, I could not do for long, due to my work schedule. Yes, I pumped and stored and all those things you are supposed to do, but I worked 12 hours a day in a factory. My pumping time was limited, and my diet was suffering from the long work hours. Not to mention that I could not do my job properly from being so sore because I was not able to pump when I needed to! I hated having to stop, but I couldn't quit my job, and they only had to provide a sanitary place for me to pump, not a break everytime I needed to.
My oldest child took formula. Similac, actually, before they it had the DHA. He is one of the smartest children in his 4th grade class, and is always getting awards and recognitions for doing such a good job. He is a great kid all around. My middle child took Wal-mart store brand, Parent's choice, formula and is also doing very well in her classes. She is in kindergarten and is in the top of her class. My third child was only breastfed for 2-3 months, the we started feeding her Similac Advanced. She is 2 and very smart.
In everyday foods that you eat, you are eating some amount of insects. The FDA has rulles about how much can actually be in them, not that there can be none. So when you get finished preaching, go have dinner, and try to estimate the amount of insects YOU are consuming too. While you're at it, here's you a couple of links to chew on!
http://www.sunherald.com/2010/09/30/2520072/insects-ensure-you-wont-eat-alone.html
http://www.fda.gov/food/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidancedocuments/sanitation/ucm056174.htm
I'm under no illusions about insects in the general food supply, but thanks for "preaching" about it to me. It is more important for infants to have a pure food supply because of the immature digestive tract - the "open gut" phenomenon. http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html
There have been many other recalls, with metal shavings, glass, salmonella, E. sakazakii - not so benign substances. Formula is man-made, prone to process variability and human error. Children have died from contaminated formula. More will die in the future. No one ever thinks "it will be my child who dies" but there are parents out there who buried a baby. Now is a GREAT time to let parents know they do have the option to avoid this.