The Centre for Food Safety (CFS)

Powdered infant formula

Product name: Meiji (for 0 - 9 months)
Manufacturer: Meiji Co, Ltd
Place of origin: Japan
Net weight: 21.6 grams per sachet (five sachets per box)
Best before: January 14, 2014

Test results showed that the biotin content of the above Meiji infant formula sample (for 0 - 9 months) was below the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) requirement.

Overt dietary biotin deficiency is rare and it has not occurred in breastfed infants. But if infants between zero and six months old solely rely on the product for intake of biotin, adverse health effects cannot be ruled out. Biotin-deficient infants may show symptoms like hair loss, skin rash, hypotonia and lethargy.

The CFS has notified the trade of the test result.

Stop selling the affected product.

Those who have purchased the concerned product should stop feeding their infants with it and switch to other infant formulae or consider breastfeeding.

If parents who have fed their infants with the product mentioned above have doubts about their infants' health, they should consult medical professionals.

Since there is no agent nor dedicated importer for the product, members of the public can enquire with the retail outlets where they bought the product if there is any recall arrangement.

The CFS press release