The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is cautioning families about certain infant formula that has been recalled by Perrigo for potentially containing a bacteria that can lead to illness in infants.
On March 17, 2023, Perrigo issued a voluntary recall of certain lots of Gerber Good Start SoothePro powdered infant formula out of an abundance of caution due to the potential presence of the bacteria Cronobacter. The recalled product was manufactured at Perrigo’s Gateway Eau Claire, Wisconsin facility. These bacteria can cause diarrhea and urinary tract infections in people of all ages and can be very serious in infants.
The first symptoms of Cronobacter infection in infants are usually a fever, accompanied by poor feeding, excessive crying or very low energy. If your child is experiencing these symptoms, you should notify your child’s medical provider and seek medical care for your child immediately.
Perrigo’s announcement on March 17, 2023, indicates that no distributed product has tested positive for the presence of this bacteria and no adverse events have been reported. No infections linked to this recall have been identified in North Carolina to date.
Consumers who purchased the product after March 5, 2023, should check their formula’s Lot Codes and “use by” dates, which can be found on the bottom of the package. No other lot codes are impacted by this recall. Any consumers who purchased product with matching codes should discontinue use and return the product to the store for replacement.
Gerber® Good Start® SoothePro™ 12.4 oz:
- 300357651Z – USE BY 04JUL2024
- 300457651Z – USE BY 05JUL2024
- 300557651Z – USE BY 06JUL2024
- 300557652Z – USE BY 06JUL2024
- 300757651Z – USE BY 08JUL2024
- 300857651Z – USE BY 09JUL2024
- 301057651Z – USE BY 11JUL2024
- 301057652Z – USE BY 11JUL2024
- 301157651Z – USE BY 12JUL2024
Gerber® Good Start® SoothePro™ 30.6 oz:
- 301357652Z – USE BY 14JUL2024
- 301457652Z – USE BY 15JUL2024
- 301557651Z – USE BY 16JUL2024
Gerber® Good Start® SoothePro™ 19.4 oz:
- 301557652Z – USE BY 16JUL2024
If your product is affected by the recall, do not use it. Use an alternate product, such as another standard milk-based formula or breast milk, for your infant and talk to your pediatrician or health care provider about any concerns you may have.
Parents and caregivers can also contact the Gerber Parent Resource Center at 1-800-777-7690 to learn more, as well as to request refunds for impacted products.
If you are a participant in the North Carolina Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), do not use the recalled infant formula. Families with products affected by the recall can return the product to the local WIC agency or to the place of purchase. Contact information for local WIC agencies can be found here. Consumers should continue to use all products not part of the recall advisory.
This is an evolving situation. For additional information, please see:
- Perrigo’s Press Release: Perrigo Announces Voluntary Recall of Limited Quantity of Gerber® Good Start® SootheProTM Powdered Infant Formula
- FDA Recall Information: Perrigo Announces Voluntary Recall of Limited Quantity of Gerber® Good Start® SootheProTM Powdered Infant Formula
- Gerber Parent Resource Center: 1-800-777-7690