'Very, very disgusted': Winnipeg parents say maggot found in baby formula being fed to daughter

Chloe Banville said she discovered a maggot floating in a bottle of Enfamil A+ Baby Formula she fed to her nine-month-old daughter Mya last month. (Source: Rob Peltonen)

A Winnipeg couple is demanding answers after discovering what appeared to be a maggot in store-bought infant formula they fed to their nine-month-old daughter.

Chloe Banville made the worrisome discovery last month.

She initially bought the Enfamil A+ Baby Formula in October of 2022 from a Winnipeg-area Costco, the couple says, but it was the first time this factory-sealed tin was opened and used.

She poured boiled water into a sterilized bottle and added two scoops of the powder.

As she was feeding her daughter Mya, she noticed something in the bottle.

“So I opened it up and discovered the maggot floating in there, and I was very, very disgusted.”

Her husband, Rob Peltonen sent an email to the company, complaining about the issue. He attached photos of the bug and the lot number on the packaging.

Peltonen said he eventually got a call from a customer service representative from Enfamil.

“She asked me where I stored it, where I put it. I'm like ‘well, my wife is an ER nurse. She's not going to put it in the laundry room. We know how to read the instructions,’” Peltonen said, who also noted the can did not have any visible damage or dents.

Rob Peltonen and his wife Chloe Banville pose with their family in an undated photo. (Source: Rob Peltonen)

They say Enfamil eventually made arrangements to have what was left of the formula collected by a courier to be taken to its quality assurance department.

In the meantime, Banville went back to breastfeeding and started ordering baby formula from Germany, having lost trust in products on the market in Canada.

Weeks after discovering the contamination, the parents are still waiting for answers from the company.

“It's kind of a big deal, to find that in your child's food,” Banville said. “For me, it's not her primary food source, but for many other parents, it is,” she said.

COMPLAINT UNDER INVESTIGATION BY MANUFACTURER

A spokesperson for Reckitt/Mead Johnson, the company that manufactures and distributes Enfamil products, told CTV News Winnipeg in an email they received the consumer complaint and are investigating the situation.

“At Reckitt/Mead Johnson we take these complaints very seriously,” the email read.

According to Health Canada’s website, manufacturers are required to provide detailed information on infant formulas and human milk fortifiers, which Health Canada reviews to determine whether the product is safe and nutritionally adequate for the growth and development of infants.

The government agency said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) verifies infant formula sold in the country meet Health Canada’s requirements.

In an email to CTV News Winnipeg, the CFIA said they have not received any complaints related to this issue.

It said Canada has one of the safest food safety systems in the worlds, and all foods sold in Canada, whether domestic or imported, must comply with Canadian legislation, including meeting strict safety and labelling standards.

“All infant formula and human milk fortifier manufacturers are required to be licensed under the Safe Food for Canadians Act and regulations if they are manufacturing, labelling, packaging, exporting, and importing or sending infant formula or human milk fortifier across provincial or territorial boundaries,” the statement read.

The agency said it does regular inspections to verify that regulated parties meet requirements, and takes appropriate action when it identifies non-compliance which can include notifying the manufacturer or importer, seizing products and requesting food recalls.