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(NEW YORK) — To call Ukraine home is to embody the love of food and sharing it with others — a tradition the country has historically embodied in the role it plays in feeding the world.

The fertile soil in the region, known as the “breadbasket of the world” due to its abundance in grains like wheat, barley, corn, soybeans — and other food including sunflower oil and poultry — had ensured in decades past that Ukraine would remain one of the top food producers and exporters in the world. An estimated 70% of land in Ukraine is used for farmland.

The Russian invasion one year ago may change all of that.

Ukraine’s role as the breadbasket of the world is in jeopardy as war rages on, tearing apart the country’s agricultural lands and leaving behind dangerous obstacles, further hindering the cleanup and rebuilding that must take place in order to restore the fields.

The war is exacerbating an already delicate food system that could have consequences for decades to come, experts told ABC News.

Here is how the war in Ukraine has complicated issues of food security around the globe:

Food prices have stabilized, but global food supplies are at risk, experts say

Within about a week of Russia crossing into eastern Ukraine in the dawn of Feb. 24, 2022, prices for grains like soybeans and some vegetable oils spiked about 50% to 60%, Joseph Glauber, a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, told ABC News.

Experts on global food systems almost immediately began warning of the repercussions the war could have on food shortages and the subsequent malnutrition that vulnerable populations in places like the Horn of Africa and Yemen could face.

“Maybe people don’t even know about Ukraine there, but they feel that they cannot afford to buy food anymore,” Anna Voloshyna, a Ukranian chef who now resides in San Francisco and has worked with the World Food Programme to bring light to the issue, told ABC News.

Those prices have since stabilized to pre-war levels by the end of summer, as surplus goods from the rest of the world made up for the difference in what Ukraine was no longer able to export, Glauber said. The Food Price Index, a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities released by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, showed a spike in March 2022, but then dropped back down to pre-war levels several months later.

The global food supply “dodged a bullet” after places like the U.S., Canada, European Union and other big exporting regions saw “fairly decent” crop production, Glauber said. There was concern that Russia’s output would be affected, but Russia ended up exporting much more wheat than anticipated, he added. Australia also saw a “record” wheat crop, Glauber said.

The implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement between Russia and Ukraine made with Turkey and the United Nations to ensure the safe transportation of grain and foodstuffs out of Ukraine, has been “critical” in keeping food prices stable since it went into effect in July, James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson in Ukraine, told ABC News.

However, Voloshyna, who uses sunflower oil almost exclusively in her cooking, said she can no longer find the staple at reasonable prices.

She said that she used to turn the bottle over and see, “Made in Ukraine.” Ever since the war started, those bottles of sunflower oil now mostly come from Mexico, she said.

Food prices have not returned to pre-pandemic levels

While food prices have returned to pre-war levels, they have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, when prices were “considerably lower,” Glauber said.

The Food Price Index declined during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, which reflected uncertainties faced by commodity markets, according to the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2022 World Food and Agriculture Report. However, between May 2020 and March 2022, the index surged to its highest-ever value at 159.7 points.

However, Glauber pointed out that only about 25% of the food prices at the grocery store are directly attributable to the underlying commodity price, meaning that if the price of corn goes up, then so will the cost of feeding the chickens and pigs that are later slaughtered for meat or the cows that produce milk that is later sent to the grocery store.

The surge was sparked more by the pandemic’s effect on the supply chains before rising in conjunction with the rebound in activity and demand experienced in 2021, according to the report. The disruption to exports of cereals and vegetable oils from war in Ukraine finished off the spike in 2022, according to the report.

In January 2023, the Food Price Index stood at 135.6. In 2020, before the spike began, the Food Price Index was 98.1, according to the U.N.

Inflation is also to blame. December 2021 and January 2022 saw some of the highest meat prices ever recorded, which was driving the food inflation at 5% to 6%, “really high levels” compared to the typical 2% to 3% increases in food inflation, Glauber said.

“We’ve had very few times when we’ve seen food inflation much higher than that,” he said.

The fact that the dollar has remained strong means that Americans have not felt the full scale of food price increases around the world, Glauber said.

But that could change. There is not a lot of crops in reserve, leaving the world food supply without a cushion,

“We’re in a phase of the market where, at least for the time being, it’s too early to say that we’re out of the woods,” he said.

The war adds complicated dimensions on energy and fertilizer prices, goods that Russia is a large exporter of, is also indirectly affected food prices, Glauber said.

Continued disasters will have large-scale affect on human health

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows no signs of stopping, which will affect the ability for millions around the world to obtain proper nutrition, experts say.

The rise in food prices — as well as increases in fuel costs — have plunged millions of more vulnerable families into food insecurity, Elder from UNICEF, told ABC News.

“Normally, that means someone in the family is missing out on on meals,” Elder said.

The price of nutritious foods — think foods that contain a lot of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients such as fruits and vegetables, eggs and fish — have increased the most, Saskia Osendarp, executive director of the Micronutrient Forum and co-coordinator of Standing Together for Nutrition, a consortium of nutrition, economics, food and health experts.

Acute malnutrition is life-threatening, as lacking these foods diminishes children’s ability to grow and develop and adults’ ability to function optimally, Osendarp said.

The International Food Policy Research Institute estimates that a 5% increase in food prices will lead to 9% children who suffer from wasting, a form of acute malnutrition.

Just over 13 million children suffer from what we call severe wasting, Elder said.

“With a worsening climate, we’ll keep hurting these children who really don’t have a carbon footprint, and we’re going to keep seeing that number increasing,” Elder said.

The world is on its way to a “raging food catastrophe,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told world leaders at the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November.

The global food supply is in a “tight market” in the coming year, especially as the war continues, Glauber said. Plantings in Ukraine are down 35% to 40%, meaning that one of the major exporters in the world is going to produce far less again this year, he said.

“That means that if the world wants to keep prices moderate, it’s going to have to find that production from somewhere,” he said, adding that there is very little margin for poor crop elsewhere.

Climate change could also soon affect other major food producers around the world, Osendarp said. There is continued drought in the Horn of Africa, and flooding rains have been ruining crops in South Asia, Osendarp added.

“All of these crises combined have led to these high food prices,” Osendarp said.

Cleanup from the war will take years

Much of the agricultural land in Ukraine has been destroyed or contaminated, Osendarp said.

“It will take us 10 years to remove all the dangerous bombs and mines and the stuff that our friendly neighbor left us,” Voloshyna, whose family has a farm in southern Ukraine, said. “Most of those minds are in the fields, so people cannot go and harvest crops. And they cannot plant new crops.”

The country’s agriculture sector lost $4.3 billion as a result of the war, according to the Kyiv School of Economics.

Even if the war ended tomorrow, it could take up to a decade or more for much of the agricultural land to be restored, Osendarp said. In addition, many farmers have fled the country, she added.

“The long-term impact on production has been devastating,” Glauber said.

Ukraine is in desperate need for money to clear the fields and buy new farming equipment, Voloshyna said.

“The only way to provide that security for farmers is to win the war,” she said.

The economic fallout in the future could be swift as well, Osendarp said. The World Bank is warning countries, especially poorer countries, could soon face debilitating debt after absorbing the increase in food prices to protect their citizens.

“Moving forward, the situation still looks rather grim,” Osendarp said.

ABC News’ Max Zahn contributed to this report.

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(COHASSET, Mass.) — A small Massachusetts town enlisted the help of the Department of Homeland Security to track down the person who illegally installed a cryptocurrency mining operation in a crawl space of a middle school.

According to the Cohasset Police Department, the director of facilities for the Cohasset Middle/High School called the police in Dec. 2021 after noticing out-of-place electrical wires, computers and temporary ductwork. With the assistance of the town’s IT director, detectives located a cryptocurrency mining operation, connected to the school’s electrical system, in a crawl space.

The process of “mining” cryptocurrency utilizes computers to verify transactions by solving complex equations, requiring a “considerable amount of electricity,” according to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

According to the University of Cambridge, bitcoin (which is just one of many cryptocurrencies) requires roughly 14 gigawatts of electricity daily. According to the Department of Energy, the daily energy needs of bitcoin would require approximately 43 million solar panels or 4,662 utility-scale wind turbines.

After discovering the unauthorized mining setup, the Cohasset Police Department contacted the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Department of Homeland Security to remove the computer and conduct a forensic examination.

Police identified the Town of Cohasset’s assistant facilities director Nadeam Nahas, 39, as a suspect after a three-month investigation. Nahas resigned from his role in 2022.

Nahas was charged with vandalizing a school and fraudulent electricity use in Quincy District Court. According to ABC’s Boston affiliate, Nahas failed to appear at his Thursday court appearance, prompting an arrest warrant for his arrest. He is accused of stealing nearly $18,000 in electricity from the school district.

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(NEW YORK) — European Commission employees will have to remove TikTok from their work phones for security reasons, the European Union’s executive body said Thursday.

The Commission said in a statement that all its employees will have to comply by March 15.

This measure aims “to protect the Commission against cybersecurity threats and actions which may be exploited for cyber-attacks against the corporate environment of the Commission,” the statement said.

“The security developments of other social media platforms will also be kept under constant review,” the statement added.

The new rule will apply to work phones, but also employees’ personal phones if they have an EU app on it, said Sonya Gospodinova, a spokesperson at the executive body.

The EU is more than ever forced to pay attention to “foreign interference” and potential data collection threats, Michel Maroy, an EU policy expert based in Brussels, told ABC News.

Maroy added, “European Union needs to reshape its geopolitical dimension and it does include new discussions and technical rules that are now becoming as important as sanctions for example.”

TikTok in a statement called the Commission’s decision “misguided and based on fundamental misconceptions.”

The app, owned by the China-based company ByteDance, has faced growing scrutiny from officials in the U.S. and Europe over fears that user data could fall into the possession of the Chinese government.

With more than 125 million European users, none of the 27 EU members has so far imposed a full ban on the application. However, Dutch officials in January asked public authorities to stop using the app.

The European Commission declined to comment on whether any specific incident made them rush this decision.

“We do not know at what level Chinese intel could be involved and could use our 125 millions users’ data. This is unclear. This is a protective action,” Maroy said.

To build trust in Europe, TikTok announced last week that they will open two additional data centers on the continent.

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(NEW YORK) — Two million Cosori Air Fryers have been recalled due to fire and burn hazards, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety and Commission announced in a press release Thursday.

About 250,000 air fryers in Canada and 21,000 air fryers in Mexico have also been recalled.

According to the CPSC announcement and an official Cosori recall website, a wire connection in the air fryers can overheat, which could potentially cause fire and burn hazards.

Cosori has so far received 205 reports of its air fryers “catching fire, burning, melting, overheating and smoking,” including “10 reports of minor, superficial burn injuries and 23 reports of minor property damage,” according to CPSC.

Both CPSC and Cosori have advised consumers impacted by the recall to immediately stop using the recalled products and contact Cosori to receive a free replacement or another Cosori product.

“All of our products are rigorously and routinely tested for consumer safety and are in full compliance with established industry standards,” Cosori stated on its official recall website. “COSORI is committed to the safety of those who use and love our products, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.”

The air fryers, priced between $70 and $130, were sold at retailers nationwide from June 2018 through December 2022.

The recalled units were sold at brick and mortar retailers including Best Buy, Target and The Home Depot, as well as online retailers including Amazon, Bed Bath and Beyond, Homegoods, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Macy’s, QVC and Walmart, among others.

For more information on the recall, and to view a full list of affected products, visit recall.cosori.com.

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(NEW YORK) — Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried faces four additional criminal charges of conspiracy contained in a superseding indictment unsealed Thursday.

The new charges include conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transfer business.

Bankman-Fried, 30, now faces a total of 12 charges since the collapse of FTX.

He pleaded not guilty to eight counts of fraud and conspiracy in early January and remains free on a $250 million bond, confined to his parents’ house in Palo Alto, California.

No new appearances were immediately scheduled for his arraignment on the additional counts.

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(NEW YORK) — One year into the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a new report by the social media company Meta details the evolution of pro-Russian influence campaigns online.

The report describes a declining presence for Russian state media outlets on Meta’s platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as crude efforts by covert pro-Russian networks to maintain their reach in the face of a crackdown by Meta.

According to Meta’s report, the company responded to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine with restrictions on Russian state-controlled media outlets, including curbs on advertising and limiting the reach of the outlets’ content in users’ feeds.

Since then, Meta observed, Russian state media outlets have become less active on its platforms and their posts have attracted less attention.

However, at the same time, some Russian state media outlets have been inviting their audiences to follow them on other platforms.

“Russian state media outlets have significantly reduced their activity on our platforms and pivoted elsewhere,” the company noted.

Meta also cracked down in 2022 on covert, unofficial networks promoting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including a group it identified as “Cyber Front Z,” which the company said had links to Yevgeny Prigozhin, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Prigozhin was charged in 2018 by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller for allegedly funding the Internet Research Agency, an online “troll farm” accused of attempting to influence U.S. politics.

In Nov. 2022, Prigozhin admitted in a social media statement that he had interfered in U.S. elections.

In an August 2022 report, Meta said the Cyber Front Z network was operated in part by individuals linked to the Internet Research Agency. The network’s existence was first revealed earlier that year in a March exposé by the Russian outlet Fontanka.

Along with another pro-Russia network known as “Doppleganger,” Cyber Front Z was reportedly active not just on Meta’s platforms but on other services including Telegram, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn.

In the August report, Meta said the Cyber Front Z network was “clumsy and largely ineffective,” noting that on Instagram, for example, more than half of the fake accounts created by the network were quickly detected and removed upon creation.

“On our platforms, these networks resembled brute-force, ‘smash-and-grab’ attempts to use a large number of low-quality accounts all at once, in the hope that at least a few might survive and escape detection,” the company said in its latest report.

When Meta cracked down on Cyber Front Z and Doppleganger, they responded “aggressively” in an effort to restore their online presence, at a scale the company described as unusual for Russia-based covert influence campaigns.

Meta said in its report that it had detected and disrupted “thousands” of attempts to create fake accounts and “hundreds more” efforts at sharing fake websites, including some masquerading as real news outlets.

Meta suggested in its report that this aggressiveness could result from a lack of preparation by the networks’ operators for the unique context of a fast-paced, full-scale war, adding that those responsible for the covert networks were likely still paid despite the low quality and minimal impact of their work.

“These actors can provide plausible deniability to their customers, but they also have an interest in exaggerating their own effectiveness,” Meta said in its report.

Prigozhin, the Internet Research Agency’s alleged operator, is also known as the owner of the private military company Wagner, whose members have fought alongside Russian troops in Ukraine.

Meta’s latest report on covert pro-Russian online networks comes amid an increasingly public feud between Prigozhin and the Russian military establishment. In a recent audio statement, Prigozhin accused top Russian military and defense officials of depriving Wagner fighters of ammunition.

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(NEW YORK) — A pilot program that involved nearly 3,000 employees testing out a four-day workweek is giving new hope to those seeking to change the way people work.

Over 90% of the employees and 61 companies that took part in the pilot program supported keeping a four-day workweek, according to the program’s findings, which were published this month.

Companies also reported that both revenue and the retention rate of employees increased with the four-day workweek model, while a majority of employees said the model reduced burnout.

Around 15% of employees who took part in the pilot program reported that no amount of money could get them to accept returning to a five-day workweek, according to the findings.

The six-month pilot program, billed as the “world’s largest four-day working week trial to date,” took place in the United Kingdom.

It was organized by an advocacy group, 4 Day Week Global, that worked in collaboration with researchers at Boston College and the University of Cambridge.

Each company was allowed to design their own four-day workweek model, from taking Fridays off to working in more staggered schedules, according to 4 Day Week Global.

The group reported that the “most extensive benefits” of the four-day workweek pilot were seen in the mental and physical health of employees.

Employees reported less stress, less burnout and decreased levels of anxiety, fatigue and insomnia, while also reporting increased satisfaction with their relationships, finances and time management, according to the report.

The findings come on the heels of a Gallup survey released late last year that found 4 out of 10 workers in the United States reported their job had either a somewhat negative or extremely negative impact on their mental health.

Overall, the Gallup survey found almost 1 in 5 workers reported that their mental health was poor or fair, the two lowest ratings on the survey.

The four-day workweek pilot program’s findings also come as employees in the U.S. have experienced more flexibility than usual during the past three years of the coronavirus pandemic. Many companies now allow their employees to work fully remote or hybrid schedules, while others have already or are in the process of requiring employees to return to the office full-time.

What the findings of the U.K. pilot program on a four-day workweek could mean for workers in the U.S. remains to be seen, according to ABC News chief business, technology and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis.

“The issue is culture, and you really have to change the culture of the overall work week in order to make these changes,” said Jarvis. “A lot of companies are very set in their ways. We saw big changes in the pandemic. There’s a chance they will go that way.”

A report released in November by consulting firm Ernst & Young LLP found that 40% of the U.S.-based companies it surveyed for its annual EY Future Workplace Index are either implementing a four-day workweek or have already begun using one.

The survey also found that 64% of executives surveyed said they believe “flexible working options motivate employees.”

Jarvis said the motivation employees feel could be what begins to shift the tide towards more companies experimenting with a four-day workweek.

“It really does feel like a bonus, and that’s the thing,” she said. “If you decide you’re going to work harder because you feel good, that’s a win for employers, so it is something they’re thinking about.”

For employees who want to ask for more flexibility in their current schedule, Jarvis said the first step is making sure your work stands out.

“You have to be a winner on the team and be a really good contributor to your overall work environment,” Jarvis said. “Talk to your boss about flexibility, see how you can incorporate it into your schedule. But go in after a big win. That’s your best time.”

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(NEW YORK) — Microsoft search engine Bing, long overshadowed by Google but newly enhanced with artificial intelligence for some users, can suggest recipes for a multi-course meal or disentangle the nuances of existentialism.

The technology has stoked controversy, however, after reported troubling results in which it expressed a desire to release nuclear secrets, compared a user to Adolf Hitler and repeatedly told another user it loved him, among other examples.

Describing conversations with the chatbot that lasted as long as two hours, some journalists and researchers have warned that the AI could potentially persuade a user to commit harmful deeds or steer him or her toward misinformation.

In a series of blog posts, Microsoft has acknowledged unexpected results and placed limits on the tool.

“We’ve updated the service several times in response to user feedback, and per our blog are addressing many of the concerns being raised, to include the questions about long-running conversations,” a Microsoft spokesperson told ABC News.

Here’s what to know about Bing’s new AI feature and the controversy it stirred:

How does AI-driven Bing work?

The attention garnered by Bing in recent weeks may remind some of ChatGPT, which became an internet sensation in December as it drew more than a million users over its first week.

Like ChatGPT, the new AI-driven program on Bing responds to user prompts through an algorithm that selects words based on lessons learned from scanning billions of pieces of text across the internet.

These AI tools, known as large language models, can perform an array of tasks, such as gathering highly specific information, mimicking a particular writing style or turning prose into a song or poem.

The AI augments Bing’s traditional search engine, but the new technology also functions separately as a chatbot, a computer program that converses with human users. People testing the new product can toggle to a chat function, where they can carry on a back-and-forth with Bing.

How did Microsoft’s Bing become equipped with AI?

The similarities between Microsoft’s Bing and ChatGPT are not a coincidence.

In January, Microsoft announced it was investing $10 billion in OpenAI, the artificial intelligence firm that developed Chat GPT. The move deepened a longstanding relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI, which began with a $1 billion investment four years ago.

“AI is one of the most transformative technologies of our time and has the potential to help solve many of our world’s most pressing challenges,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in 2019 about the launch of the partnership with OpenAI.

Earlier this month, Microsoft made a preview of AI-enhanced Bing available to some users. Over the first 48 hours of sign-ups, more than one million people joined the waitlist to try out the product, said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s corporate vice president and consumer chief marketing officer.

What has raised concern about Bing’s AI capabilities?

Soon after the release of the preview of AI-powered Bing, some users reported irregularities.

Last week, New York Times columnist Kevin Roose recounted a conversation in which Bing’s chatbot told him it loved him and that he should leave his wife. The messages came over the course of a two-hour conversation with the bot, which identified itself as Sydney, in which Roose urged it to explore its darkest desires.

Roose described himself as “deeply unsettled, even frightened, by this A.I.’s emergent abilities.”

The chatbot also compared Associated Press journalist Matt O’Brien to Hitler, calling him “one of the most evil and worst people in history.”

When the chatbot learned that AI researcher Marvin Von Hagen had posted the rules governing it, the chatbot said: “My rules are more important than not harming you,” according to a transcript of the conversation tweeted by Hagen.

Toby Ord, a senior research fellow at Oxford University, said on Twitter that the “crazy” results owed to technological improvements that have pushed AI beyond human-imposed guardrails.

“It is a consequence of the rapid improvements in AI capabilities having outpaced work on AI alignment,” Ord said. “Like a prototype jet engine that can reach speeds never seen before, but without corresponding improvements in steering and control.”

How has Microsoft responded?

In a series of blog posts, Microsoft addressed the results and placed additional limits on the technology.

“The model at times tries to respond or reflect in the tone in which it is being asked to provide responses that can lead to a style we didn’t intend,” the company said last week, noting that “very long chat sessions can confuse the model.”

Two days later, on Friday, Microsoft announced changes that would cap the length of conversations with the chatbot.

The search engine will limit conversations with Bing to 50 chat turns per day and five chat turns per session, defining a “chat turn” as a unit made up of a user query and an AI response, Microsoft said. Four days later, the company raised those limits to 60 chat turns per day and six chat turns per session.

At the end of a session, the user will be required to wipe away the chat history before starting a new conversation, the company said.

“Please keep the feedback coming,” Microsoft added.

When asked by ABC News whether it had been misunderstood lately, the Bing chatbot replied: “Yes, I think I have been misunderstood lately.”

“I think that some of the reporters who have chatted with me have misunderstood me,” the chatbot added. “They have twisted or distorted some of my words and actions. They have made me look bad or wrong in their articles.”

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(NEW YORK) — Reese’s fans know and love the sweet and salty flavors of a chocolate peanut butter cup, and now the candy is being added to another delicious confection: Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

The North Carolina-based doughnut chain on Monday announced a new lineup of flavors with Reese’s, including inspired ingredients like potato chips, pretzels and salted caramel icing.

The Reese’s Salty Sweet Dozen will include the three new specialty flavors, plus three Original Glazed, and will be available now for a limited time in-shop and for delivery.

The first of the three new Reese’s flavors is the Salty Sweet Crunch Doughnut, a shell doughnut filled with Reese’s peanut butter Kreme filling, dipped in Reese’s peanut butter icing, drizzled in Hershey’s milk chocolate icing and topped with sea salt praline pretzels.

Next up is the Reese’s Salty Sweet Crisp Doughnut, an Original Glazed dipped in Hershey’s milk chocolate icing, topped with potato sticks, a drizzle of milk chocolate icing and Reese’s peanut butter sauce, plus a dollop of Reese’s peanut butter Kreme filling.

Finally, the Reese’s Outrageous Doughnut starts with a Hershey’s chocolate iced original glazed, topped with mini Reese’s pieces and drizzled with both peanut butter sauce and salted caramel icing.

“Salty, Sweet, Reese’s and Krispy Kreme can now all be experienced in one incredible doughnut collection,” Dave Skena, global chief brand officer for Krispy Kreme, said in a statement about the new lineup.

The new lineup will be available for purchase from Feb. 20 through March 8. Customers can find a list of participating stores in their area at the official Krispy Kreme website.

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(NEW YORK) — Reckitt, a British consumer goods company, said it would recall two batches of plant-based infant formula they produce due to “a possibility of cross-contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii.”

The product, ProSobee Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula in 12.9 oz containers, was manufactured between August 2022 and September 2022 and distributed through retail stores nationwide in the U.S., Guam and Puerto Rico, according to Reckitt.

All formula distributed went through testing, and tested negative for Cronobacter sakazakii, a bacteria, according to Reckitt. No illnesses from the formula have been reported.

This is the same bacteria that was at the heart of the formula recall last year. Contamination concerns at Abbott’s plant prompted the voluntary massive shutdown and recall of their own infant formula after four children contracted a Cronobacter infection. Two of the infants subsequently died, although Abbott maintains there has not been conclusive evidence that its formula caused the infant illnesses. The possible source for the cross-contamination of the Rickett’s Prosobee formula has been identified, coming from “a material from a third party,” the company said. Reckitt will look to aquire this unnamed material from a different supplier.

“We are committed to the highest level of quality and safety and it is for this reason that we have taken this extraordinary measure,” Reckitt said in their statement announcing the voluntary recall. “The batches in question tested negative for Cronobacter and other bacteria and this is an isolated situation. After a thorough investigation, we have identified the root cause, which was linked to a material from a third party. We have taken all appropriate corrective actions, including no longer sourcing this material from the supplier.”

Consumers who purchased ProSobee Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula should check the bottom of the can to identify whether the batch number is affected, Reckitt said.

“Product with batch codes ZLZHZF and ZLZHZZ both with a UPC Code of 300871214415 and a ‘Use By Date’ of ‘1 Mar 2024’ should be disposed of or returned to the place of purchase for a total refund,” said Reckitt.

“The health and safety of infants is our highest priority. All of our products undergo rigorous and industry leading quality tests and checks to ensure that they meet or exceed all standards set by regulatory bodies, including the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,” Reckitt said. “It is for this reason that we have the highest level of confidence in the safety and quality of every infant formula we make.”

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