Saudi to ban Similac baby formula

Saudi Arabia said on Monday it would ban and withdraw plastic and metallic cans of Similac powdered infant formula for possibly containing beetles and their larvae.

Last week, Abbott Laboratories announced a voluntary recall of about 5 million units of its top-selling product but limited the recall to the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam and countries in the Caribbean.

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) said it planned "protective measures to ensure the product did not enter the kingdom, investigate its presence and withdraw it from local markets".

A spokesman for Abbott in Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's largest economy, said Similac sold locally was manufactured in Ireland and was safe for consumption.

"Saudi Arabia has not been impacted by these recalls because the product sold here is made in Ireland while the recalled batches were made in the United States," the spokesman said. "We have taken the initiative of contacting SFDA to explain this point before it issued the statement today." 

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