TAMPA, Fla. -- CVS Pharmacy has temporarily pulled all Enfamil brand baby formula from its shelves after an Oldsmar woman reportedly found flour in a baby formula container she bought.
The retailer believes someone tampered with the package, so company leaders have reported the situation to local law enforcement while also launching their own internal investigation.
CVS is also sending notices to all its stores -- reinforcing its corporate policy not to re-stock any returned baby formula containers.
“We have not identified any problems in any other markets outside of Tampa, FL. We expect to resume the sale of those products shortly,” a CVS spokesperson wrote in a statement. “In the meantime, our store employees can assist customers with finding an alternative product. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
A previous issue with Enfamil baby formula
Earlier this month, an Arizona mom said a box of Enfamil baby formula she bought from Walmart was also filled with flour.
That mom, Chelsea Bellinger, said she noticed pre-made bottles of Enfamil formula in her refrigerator had separated -- leaving the formula at the bottom and the water on top. She gave one to her daughter, but hours later she realized something was not right. When she tasted the separated liquid, she realized it was flour.
She thinks the box was tampered with, then super-glued shut -- with the formula package re-sealed by hand. She urges other parents to make sure their formula is safe before giving to a baby.
Walmart told 10News' Phoenix sister-station that customers can return formula, but employees aren't supposed to put it back on the shelves.
How baby formula shouldn't look
10News reporter Liz Crawford did an experiment to compare how flour and formula would look in a bottle. In one bottle, she prepared formula with water; and in another, she prepared the bottle with flour.
At first, the bottles look identical. But, after about 15 minutes, she said the bottle with the flour mixture started to settle and separate -- with the water going to the top.
Crawford also reached out to Enfamil about the incident reported in the Tampa Bay area, and the company provided details on safety measures already used in their formula packages.
"First and foremost, we want parents to know that we take any potential tampering issue incredibly seriously, and we are cooperating with CVS and the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation," a spokesperson for Enfamil wrote in a statement.
Here are Enfamil's tips for spotting tampered products
Metal Cans
-- Look for signs of dents or punctures anywhere on the can.
-- Check out the integrity of the peel-back foil lids.
-- Be suspicious of any unusual color, appearance or smell of powder in opened cans.
-- Lot numbers and packaging should be intact and legible.
Bag-in-box
-- Lot/batch number stickers should adhere to the bags of powdered formula in the box and all have the same lot numbers printed on them. Enfamil said it does not mix bags of powdered formula with different lot numbers within a box.
-- The stickers should have the same lot numbers as those printed on the box itself.
-- Be on the lookout if: The sticker with the lot number is torn or missing from the bag, the bag is torn or cut, the bag is not completely filled with powdered formula, there's loose powder in the box, or unusual color or odor of powder in opened bags.
Baby formula theft: An underground illicit industry
Robert Moraca, vice president of loss prevention for the National Retail Federation, said he has not seen many similar cases of tampering with baby formula. However, he did say that organized retail crime rings dedicated to dealing in the stolen baby formula have been around for a long time.
“These are usually physically small items you can easily take off the shelf, but they’re pricey and people need them,” Moraca said. "Organized retail crime creates $9 billion in losses to businesses every year."
Moraca did say he’s seen cases of retail crime rings changing expiration dates on products, which is a health concern.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has an online guide for detecting and reporting incidents of food tampering. The most important tips are: carefully examine all product packaging, check any anti-tampering devices like plastic seals and buttons, don’t purchase products if the packaging is open or damaged and check for expiration and sell-by dates.
The FDA said if you find a product that has been tampered with, report it to the store manager or local police department if you’re at home.
KPNX contributed to this story.
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