UPDATE: New Tests Confirm Safety of Mead Johnson's Enfamil Premium Newborn Formula

Mead Johnson Nutrition (NYSE: MJN) has conducted a new round of rigorous testing on samples of a batch of Enfamil Premium Newborn powdered formula related to a U.S. Food & Drug Administration investigation. Drawn from samples parallel to those being tested by public health officials and following the same methodology, the new testing did not detect any presence of Cronobacter (Enterobacter sakazakii). These new results reaffirm the testing conducted before the batch was made available to retailers and consumers. Based on both sets of tests, Mead Johnson can say with confidence that Enfamil Premium Newborn formula, like every infant formula the company produces, is safe. The company undertook the highly unusual retesting due to continuing misinformation and confusion in the marketplace. Mead Johnson recognizes that parents and health care professionals trust and rely on the Enfamil brand and takes that responsibility very seriously. The company wanted to reassure consumers – as quickly as possible and based on rigorous scientific data – of the safety and quality of all its products. These results are consistent with independent media accounts from Reuters, CNN, the Associated Press and others, reporting that none of the formula samples relating to the case have tested positive. The U.S. FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control are seeking to determine the origin of the Cronobacter involved in the Missouri case and are expected to be testing a variety of possible environmental sources. The company has shared the results from its two tests with both authorities.