Product recall for Alactagrow and Sustagen
The Food and Drug Administration has just released DOH-FDA Advisory No. 2010-009 and 2010-010 seeking the product recall of Sustagen Junior Milk Drink Powder and Alactagrow Bibo Trio Milk Supplement.
Both dated 16 September 2010, the advisory stated that the products were found to be “non-compliant to the standard of inferior quality.”
Sustagen Junior Milk Drink Powder Vanilla Flavor for 1-3 Years Old covered by registration number FR-72110 declared its fat content at 5.9g per 100 calories. However, upon analysis, it only contained 1.5g fat.
For Alactagrow Trio Milk Supplement covered by registration number FR-71538, it claimed that it has 5.1g of fat per 100 calories. Results showed that it only has 1.34g fat.
The standard required fat is not less than 3g and not more than 6g per 100 calories.
Because of these findings, FDA Acting Director IV Nazarita Tacandong has ordered the return of the products to Mead Johnson Nutrition, manufacturer of both products.
According to the DOH-FDA Advisory, the “continuous distribution of the said product presents gross deception to the consuming public and may even present risk of illness or injury to the consuming sector of the public, the young children.”
Breastfeeding Pinay 
I think there is a typo error in your statement. It says in the FDA advisory taht the declared fat content on label is sustagen is 5.9 grams per 100 GRAMS of powder and Alactagrow is 5.1 g per 100 GRAMS ( not per 100 calories as you wrote.). the unit of measure is different. thanks
Hi Virgie,
No there was no typo. That’s what is indicated in the FDA advisory.
Thanks!
Abbey
Hi Abbey,
Hmm. There is indeed a typo in your entry (3rd and 4th paragraph) I read through the FDA memo again – and it states that what is written on the label is 5.1g and 5.9g per 100 GRAMS (not calories) of powder .
I just heard on the radio that Dr. Tacandong of FDA will be issuing an updated advisory regarding this
issue. Thanks!
Virgie
new advisory or not it is clear that alactagrow and sustagen are selling substandard products and are misleading the public about the actual content of their product.
Actually MJ already applied for a newer CPR before the release of the new CODEX for milk. Here’s a quote from their statement in their website.
“When the Philippine FDA recently adopted additional CODEX regulations applying specifically to follow-up formulas, Mead Johnson proactively cooperated and has stayed in frequent communication with the Philippine FDA to ensure that Mead Johnson products would continue to be available for the families that use them, and in compliance with the new regulations. The process of reformulating the products so that they comply with the new CODEX regulations is elaborate and requires considerable time so Mead Johnson requested a renewed Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) prior to the end of the product’s term. CODEX is an international organization that develops and promotes food standards. ”
So MJ did comply with the standard, but it was the old standard. What happened was just an unfortunate circumstance of wrong timing. And they already released a reformulated Alactagrow.