ALERT: Stop consuming unapproved US infant formulas, NAFDAC warns Nigerians

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against consuming and distributing infant formulas manufactured by Able Group, a US-based company.

According to NAN, Moji Adeyeye, NAFDAC director general, disclosed in a statement that the agency received information from the US-FDA on the recall of certain infant formulas.

Adeyeye said the infant formulas from the company were said to contain insufficient iron levels and lacked other requirements of the US Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA).

She said the products were sold under the brand names HiPP; Holle, Bioland and Kendamil, adding that the pre-market notifications for these new infant formulas had not been submitted to the FDA.

She named the products as HiPP comfort milk formula; HiPP Dutch stage one combiotic infant milk formula; HiPP HA Germany hypoallergenic stage pre-combiotic infant milk formula; Holle Bio stage one organic infant milk formula, Holle Bio stage pre-organic infant milk formula; Lebenswert Anfangsmilch stage one organic infant milk formula, and HiPP UK stage one combiotic first infant milk formula.

According to her, the products have less than one milligram of iron per 100 calories and they do not have the needed ingredients and label that meet the requirement of the Code of Federal Regulations.

She said the products were intended as full or partial substitute for human milk for children aged 12 months and below, adding that the amount of calories they contain is inadequate for many infants, especially those born with low birth weight or prematurely.

According to her, insufficient consumption of iron at infancy can lead to anaemia, iron deficiency which has irreversible cognitive and functional development defects if not treated.

“Infant formula products that contain less than one milligram of iron per 100 calories are required to include a statement on the label indicating that additional iron may be necessary,” she said.

“NAFDAC implores importers, distributors, retailers and consumers, who have these products in storage to stop distribution, sale and use of these recalled products.

“NAFDAC encourages consumers and health care professionals to report adverse events related to the use of these recalled products to the nearest NAFDAC office.”