Baby Gourmet Foods recalls organic baby cereal over possible bacteria

A brand of baby cereal is being pulled from all in-store and online retailers in Canada due to possible Cronobacter contamination.

Calgary-based Baby Gourmet Foods has issued a product recall for its Banana Raisin Oatmeal Organic Whole Grain Cereal, which is sold in 227-gram packages.

Cronobacter is a bacteria that is sometimes found in dry foods, such as powdered infant formula, powdered milk and herbal teas, according to the Government of Canada website.

The bacteria can cause serious or fatal infections to the bloodstream, central nervous system and intestines especially in newborns.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says the recall was triggered by agency test results.

On its website, the CFIA says food contaminated with Cronobacter may not look or smell spoiled but can still make people sick.

“Although Cronobacter is not commonly linked to human illness, in rare cases it can cause serious or fatal infections,” reads the CFIA website.

The company says no other Baby Gourmet or Little Gourmet products are affected by the recall and no incidents related to the product have been reported to date.

It says anyone who purchased the cereal should dispose of it immediately or return to the location where it was purchased.