FDA warns parents about Crecelac infant formula—what parents need to know about the recall

The FDA has issued an alert warning parents to avoid buying formula from a Texas distributor after samples that were tested were found to contain dangerous bacteria that can make babies sick.

The FDA issued the alert late last week about Crecelac Infant Powdered Goat Milk Infant Formula, a formula distributed by a Texas dairy producer, after a sample collected from a store in Texas tested positive for cronobacter. Cronobacter is the same bacteria that sparked formula recalls and nationwide shortages in 2022 after it was found at a major U.S. infant formula factory.

When consumed, it can cause serious and potentially deadly infections in babies, including blood infections, meningitis, nervous system injuries, and other serious complications. Cronobacter bacteria are found naturally in the environment, and it’s possible for them to make their way into infant formula after the packaging is opened.

According to the FDA, Crecelac Infant Powdered Goat Milk Infant Formula was imported and distributed by Dairy Manufacturers Inc., a company based in Prosper, Texas. The FDA’s initial alert didn’t specify where the formula was made or how much of it was imported and distributed in the U.S.

Last week, Dairy Manufacturers Inc. voluntarily recalled Crecelac Infant Powdered Goat Milk Infant Formula, as well as another brand it distributes, Farmalac, because neither formula had received approval from the FDA for sale in the U.S. Companies that distribute infant formula in the U.S. are required to submit data to the FDA that shows their products meet health, safety, and nutritional standards. The FDA said no cronobacter had been found in the Farmalac formula, but parents and caregivers should still avoid it anyway.

In 2022, the FDA shut down an Abbott formula factory in Sturgis, Michigan amid a huge investigation after four infants became sick and two died from cronobacter. The investigation showed widespread contamination at that factory. The shutdown caused nationwide formula shortages, during which the FDA began allowing imports of infant formula produced overseas for the first time. Previously, the only formula allowed to be sold in the U.S. was produced by a small handful of domestic manufacturers, including Abbott.