Yes, you can rely on the quality of EleCare formulas. We conduct extensive quality checks on each batch of formula, including microbiological analysis, prior to release.
Abbott is committed to the highest standards for manufacturing of all its nutrition products. After our voluntary recall of products manufactured at the Sturgis, Michigan facility, we are taking corrective actions at that facility using new technology and improved processes to renew your confidence in our products.
After a thorough investigation by the FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Abbott, and review of all available data, there is no conclusive evidence to link Abbott's formulas to the reported infant illnesses. To learn more, see our statement on Abbott.com.
Our actions include:
We know the industry-wide infant formula shortage in the U.S. has worsened since our voluntary recall. We see and hear the stress of parents who are facing empty shelves, and we are doing what we can to get high-quality formula to families in need.
If you can’t find the formula you need, please talk to your child’s healthcare provider for information on a suitable alternative.
Use our Where to Buy tool on EleCare.com to find major retailers online and near you that stock EleCare products. Due to rapid inventory changes, we advise you to also call ahead to verify availability.
Here are some ideas for finding formula:
To get products to patients as quickly as possible, the manufacturing of the following select EleCare products are being produced: EleCare Infant, EleCare Jr Unflavored and EleCare Jr Vanilla. We are not producing EleCare Jr Chocolate or EleCare Jr Banana at this time.
Yes. EleCare is indicated for infants younger than 1 year. EleCare Jr is indicated for children older than 1 year.
All of the equipment used to make EleCare and EleCare Jr is thoroughly cleaned before manufacture. After cleaning, samples from the equipment and product contact surfaces are tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing methods. ELISA testing detects casein, whey, and soy protein. Only after the equipment passes this testing does production of EleCare and EleCare Jr begin. After production, product is tested using both ELISA and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) methods.
Yes, EleCare and EleCare Jr are lactose-free and galactose-free.
EleCare and EleCare Jr do not contain the protein gluten, so children with celiac disease can use them. People with celiac disease are sensitive to gluten, which is a protein found in wheat and other grains.
It is not recommended to freeze EleCare or EleCare Jr.
EleCare and EleCare Jr should not be heated.
EleCare and EleCare Jr can be stored on the shelf, unopened, for 24 months. Be sure to check the expiration date on the can.
Once opened, the contents of a can of EleCare or EleCare Jr should be used within one month.
EleCare and EleCare Jr may be fed orally or by tube directly into the digestive system. It should not be fed intravenously (through a vein).
EleCare and EleCare Jr can be fed safely for four hours under standard tube-feeding conditions.
Abbott Nutrition uses Pareve ingredients for EleCare and EleCare Jr and uses appropriate methods of clean-in-place (CIP) to sanitize equipment prior to manufacturing EleCare and EleCare Jr. Abbott Nutrition’s manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan, is under the supervision of the Kashruth Division of the Orthodox Union (OU), and EleCare and EleCare Jr products manufactured there are kosher and use the dairy designation described below as the equipment also runs dairy ingredients. Abbott Nutrition conducts extensive testing to make sure the manufacturing equipment is milk protein free prior to production and also tests the finished product using sensitive techniques to detect the presence of milk protein.
Due to OU labeling requirements regarding the use of equipment that manufactures both Pareve and dairy products, the label would need to indicate "OU-DE (Orthodox Union - Dairy Equipment).” Abbott Nutrition has concluded that having “OU-DE” on the label would lead to confusion by parents of children who are allergic to milk protein. Thus, Abbott Nutrition has decided not to put these designations on the label of EleCare or EleCare Jr. Abbott Nutrition recommends that consumers for whom this is an issue contact their Rabbi for approval prior to consuming these products.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) are two fatty acids that are important for mental and visual development in infants. They can be obtained directly from the diet or made naturally by the baby from two precursor essential fatty acids – alpha linolenic acid (precursor of DHA) and linoleic acid (precursor of ARA). DHA and ARA function as nutritional building blocks in brain and eye development, which occurs most rapidly during the first two years of life.
It would be highly unlikely for a baby to have an allergic reaction to DHA and ARA. Allergies occur in response to proteins. DHA and ARA are fatty acids and the sources of these are free of protein contamination.
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