A shipment of powdered infant formula was pulled from Wal-Mart stores across the country after the death of an infant in Missouri. No government agency has issued a recall for the formula; Wal-Mart's action was voluntary. A spokesperson for the company said the store was pulling the formula in an "abundance of caution" in case it turned out to be a defective product. Pennsylvania residents who bought cans of the formula can return them for a refund or an exchange. The move affected more than 3,000 Wal-Mart stores.

The victim was a Missouri baby boy, ten days old, who developed a rare bacterial infection and died after consuming a bottle made from a 12.5-ounce can of Enfamil Newborn formula powder. His parents took him to the hospital when he became lethargic and seemed to his parents to have a stomach ache.

The lot at issue bears lot number ZP1K7G. According to the manufacturer, the lot was tested for the bacteria before it shipped, and the test results were negative. The bacterial infection that the boy had, Cronobacter sakazakii, is rare.

Samples of the formula that the dead baby consumed have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration where they will be tested. Investigators are also scrutinizing the water that was used to prepare the formula and other environmental factors that the boy may have been exposed to in his home.

If the batches of formula that were pulled are determined to be safe, Wal-Mart could return the cans of formula to store shelves.

Source: USA Today, "Wal-Mart pulls powdered formula after Mo. baby's death," The Associated Press, Dec. 22, 2011