Circulating message warns that Nestle is recalling all banana baby food with 2012 expiry dates because jars may contain pieces of glass. The warning is derived from a genuine recall, but, in its current form, it is misleading and inaccurate. It is true that Nestle France has voluntarily recalled a specific batch of “P’tit Pot” banana baby food as a precaution due to possible broken glass contamination. However, the problem is confined to one batch and affects a product that is sold only in France. According to this warning, which is currently circulating via Facebook and Twitter as well as via email, Nestle has issued a recall of all banana baby food with a 2012 expiry date because the containers may contain broken glass. The message asks that recipients pass on the information as a means of warning other parents about the potential danger. The warning is derived from a genuine product recall. However, because it omits important information about where the recall was issued and what batch of products the recall applies to, the warning is potentially misleading. In late June, 2011, Nestle France issued a voluntary recall of banana flavoured P’tit Pot baby food as a precautionary measure after a mother found a piece of glass in a jar of the product. However, the potential contamination affects a particular batch of the product that is sold only in France. The recalled products have the batch number 10980295 L and the bar code 7 613033089732 with an expiry date of October 2012. No other products in the P’tit Pot range are affected. Consumers with infants in France should certainly check that they do not have any of the Nestle baby food products that have been recalled. However, in its current form, this recall warning is inaccurate and potentially misleading. The warning makes no mention of what batch of the product was recalled or which country the recall was issued in. These omissions mean that people all over the world may mistakenly believe that baby food products that they may have are potentially contaminated. Such inaccurate warnings can cause unnecessary alarm among consumers. If you decide to pass on this warning, please include specific information about the affected batch as detailed above and be sure to clearly state that the recall applies to a specific product that is sold only in France
Ellie Rose ● 5549d