Kroger recall: Purified water for babies recalled over mould fears

Tainted water distributed mainly across the south

Shoppers enter a Food 4 Less, one of the chains that received mold-tainted water, in Chicago, Illinois on January 15, 2003 (Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

A batch of purified water for babies has been recalled amid concerns about mould contamination.

The US Food and Drug Administration said that Kroger Company was pulling the one-gallon water jugs, sold as “Comforts FOR BABY Purified Water with Fluoride,” after receiving complaints about mould.

“The water is sold in clear containers, but the mould may not be visible with the naked eye,” an FDA notice warned.

Units with sell-by dates ranging between April 26 of 2018 and October 10 of 2018 were subject to the recall, the FDA said.

The recall affects Kroger stores across 14 states in the South and the Midwest of the United States, which have been instructed to pull the product from shelves. The tainted water was distributed to a number of stores that included Food 4 Less, Kroger and Payless Super Market.

“While no health risk is associated with this product, out of an abundance of caution, we removed this product from sale several weeks ago,” Kroger spokeswoman Kristal Howard said in an email.

Testing identified the mould as Talaromyces penicillium, the FDA said. People affected by the mould often evince allergy-type responses like sneezing and runny eyes, and those who suffer from mould allergies can have asthma attacks.

“Customers who see discoloration in the product” can return it to stores and get a refund, Ms Howard said.