Gerber teething sticks recalled for choking hazard remain on shelves, company warns

Gerber baby teething sticks that pose a choking hazard remain on store shelves despite being recalled earlier this year, the company warned.  

Gerber said in a notice, published on April 18 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, that consumers should avoid the baby food product if they see it still for sale at the store. 

Here’s what to know:

Gerber Soothe N Chew Teething Sticks recall

Why you should care:

The recalled baby teething sticks are a potential choking hazard for babies and young children, Gerber warned. The company received consumer complaints of choking incidents and at least one emergency room visit was reported. 

The backstory:

Gerber on Jan. 31 initiated a recall and discontinuation of all batches of Gerber Soothe N Chew Teething Sticks, which came in two flavors – strawberry apple and banana. The products were distributed to 45 states and Puerto Rico. The states exempt from the distribution were Alaska, North Dakota, Wyoming, Louisiana and Wyoming, according to the recall notice.  

What we know:

On April 18, Gerber said it decided to publish a second announcement about the recall due to reports of the recalled product "still available for sale on some retailer shelves and online."

Dig deeper:

The recalled products can be identified as follows:

• Gerber Snacks for Baby Soothe ‘n’ Chew Teething Sticks, Strawberry Apple, Net Wt 3.2 Oz (90g), with UPC 0 15000 04618 7, all lot codes.
• Gerber Snacks for Baby Soothe ‘n’ Chew Teething Sticks, Banana, Net Wt 3.2 Oz (90g), with UPC 0 15000 04608 8, all lot codes
• Gerber Snacks for Baby Soothe ‘n’ Chew Teething Sticks, Banana, Net Wt 1.58 Oz (45g), with UPC 0 15000 01015 7, all lot codes

What they're saying:

"Consumers who may have purchased GERBER® SOOTHE N CHEW® TEETHING STICKS should not feed this product to their child and can return the product to the retailer where it was purchased for a full refund," Gerber said in the April announcement. "Consumers who find the product for sale in the market should not purchase the product."

Gerber added that it has been working with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration on the recall "and will cooperate with them fully."

"Again, we sincerely apologize for any concern or inconvenience this action represents to parents, caregivers and retail customers," the company said.

What you can do:

Anyone with the recalled baby teething sticks should return the product to the place of purchase for a refund. Gerber said any consumer support needed is available 24/7 at 1-800-4-GERBER (1-800-443-7237).