Baby cereal recalled in Canada due to rare bacterial illness concerns

A cereal for babies is being pulled off the shelves across Canada due to concerns over a rare bacterial illness that could potentially be fatal in infants.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a nationwide recall on Saturday for Baby Gourmet Organic’s Banana Raisin Oatmeal, an organic whole grain baby cereal, because of possible Cronobacter contamination.

CFIA said that the recall, which was triggered by test results, related to products with lot code 24122BROAC G2 and the expiry date Apr. 3, 2025.

A food safety investigation is ongoing and may lead to more products being recalled, the agency said.

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Calgary-based Baby Gourmet Foods said in a news release on Sunday that the banana raisin oatmeal cereal was being removed from all in-store and online retailers nationally.

It said that no incidents linked to the recalled oatmeal had been reported so far and no other products were affected.

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“The safety of infants and children is Baby Gourmet’s top priority,” said Jen Carlson, company co-founder, in the statement. “As a company founded for our own families, our dedication to quality is deeply personal.”

Baby Gourmet said consumers should dispose the recalled cereal immediately or return to the location where it was purchased from.

Cronobacter is a bacteria that is sometimes found in powdered infant formula, powdered milk and herbal teas, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Cronobacter infections in humans are rare, but they could cause serious illness and be fatal for infants, PHAC says.

Food contaminated with Cronobacter may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick, CFIA said.

It can cause rare bloodstream and central nervous system infections and has been associated with severe intestinal infection and blood poisoning, especially in newborns, the agency said.

Symptoms of Cronobacter infection in infants include fever, poor feeding, excessive crying, very low energy and seizures.

Antibiotics can help treat Cronobacter infections.

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