Enterobacter sakazakii in infant formula
The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) regulates infant formula manufacturers to ensure that all infant formula sold in the United States is safe for babies to consume. FDA conducts yearly inspections at infant formula manufacturing plants, and collects and analyzes product samples.
Baby formula can be purchased in either powder, liquid concentrate, or ready-to-feed form. Powdered infant formula has been identified as the source of E. Sakazakii outbreaks, and adherence to proper formula preparation is important to prevent the growth of any bacteria that could be present in the formula. According to FDA:
In most cases, it's safe to mix formula using ordinary cold tap water that's brought to a boil and then boiled for one minute and cooled. According to the World Health Organization, recent studies suggest that mixing powdered formula with water at a temperature of at least 70 degree C—158 degrees F—creates a high probability that the formula will not contain the bacterium Enterobacter sakazakii—a rare cause of bloodstream and central nervous system infections. Remember that formula made with hot water needs to be cooled quickly to body temperature—about 98 degrees F—if it is being fed to the baby immediately. If the formula is not being fed immediately, refrigerate it right away and keep refrigerated until feeding.
The FDA fact sheet on infant formula can be found here.
