Roughly five months before an official recall was issued, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was already well aware of an alleged bacterial contamination issue at Mead Johnson's infant formula production plant in Zeeland, Mich.

The agency recently admitted to such, revealing that the facility, which manufactures Enfamil ProSobee Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula, had been identified as containing Cronobacter bacteria.

An initial batch of formula was destroyed at that time, but another 145,000 cans of the stuff were released into the market with the FDA's knowledge. A formal recall was issued five months later, and none of the recalled cans were found to contain Cronobacter, according to the FDA.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that Cronobacter "can be deadly for young infants." Symptoms in babies include poor feeding, fever, low energy, excessive crying, seizures, spine swelling, and bloodstream infections.

"As part of the FDA's oversight to ensure safe and nutritious infant formula, the agency's more recent engagements with manufacturers through inspections and ongoing meetings has limited the scope of these recalls and minimized disruptions to the market," an FDA spokesperson said about the recall.