Man finds unknown substance in baby formula

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) -While parents are still struggling to find baby formula, one Nashville man said the formula he found he had to throw away.

Many said they usually do not sift through the powder when parents open a can of baby formula. One man said now he does, after finding dark clumps in one can. 

Several scoops of baby formula a day, Terrell Tarrant said he’s constantly preparing a bottle for his 9-month-old son.

“He doesn’t really cry unless he wants a bottle,” Tarrant said.

A bottle filled with formula Tarrant spent days tracking down during this nationwide shortage.

“It’s been really hard; we’ve had to switch his formula like three times,” Tarrant said.

After finally getting his hands on a can and using a few scoops, Tarrant said he saw something shocking in the powder.

“This is the gray stuff that was in there, some pieces were long, and it was hard to explain; they were just concrete colored and looked like concrete,” Tarrant said.

Tarrant said his son’s poop was black a few days later, but doctors said he was fine. News4 asked one pediatrician for a possible explanation.

“If a child is on a formula that is different than a formula they have been on previously, expect that there may be a change in the child’s bowel movement, either where it is softer than it has been, harder, firmer, or a change in color,” Dr. Gigantie said.

Although doctor joseph Gigante hasn’t come across a case like Tarrant’s, he’s warning parents to pay attention.

“Check to make sure the formula hasn’t been tampered with and that there isn’t any foreign substance in the can,” Gigante said.

Tarrant said he threw the can out, and he wants others parents to know what to look for.

“There could be other people out there that just don’t even know,” Tarrant said.

Doctors said if parents have any concerns about their child’s eating, call their pediatrician.

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