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Portagen Powder Recall

NEWS RELEASE



Contact:  Mead Johnson Nutritionals
          1-888-587-7275

For Immediate Release

Evansville, IN - March 29, 2002 - Mead Johnson Nutritionals, in keeping with our commitment to provide safe and healthy nutritional products, is recalling one batch of Portagen powder, a nutritional product for adults, toddlers and infants with rare digestive diseases that prevent them from digesting or absorbing fats. Portagen is intended for use under a physician's supervision and is not typically available at retail stores. The batch, coded BMC17, with an expiration date of January 2003, is in national distribution and first shipped to distributors and hospitals in February 2001. Any cans from t his shipment should not be used. No other batches of Portagen product are involved.

The recall is being initiated after a report that a premature infant died in April 2001 of a rare form of meningitis caused by the bacteria Enterobacter sakazakii. The child reportedly became ill after being tube-fed Portagen from this batch.

Mead Johnson wants to assure consumers that all of our products are manufactured with strict adherence to the highest standards, using high quality ingredients. The microbiological quality of each batch of Portagen is assessed using validated methods, and our product specifications are consistent with those proposed by the FDA and other U.S. regulatory organizations.

Consumers who may have Portagen from this batch code can return the product to the place of purchase. Consumers with questions about Portagen or the recall can contact 1-888-587-7275.

FDA/Website Management Staff
Web page created by tg 2002-MAR-29.