Hello,

As President of Medela, I am writing at this time to give the
professional  breastfeeding community complete information regarding
Medela's product return notice for Quick Clean Wipes. Many of you will
receive a letter in the mail about this.  I am using the Lactnet Forum
with the listowner's permission to proactively reach as many
breastfeeding professionals as possible regarding this issue. 

 

Due to a packaging issue regarding the Environmental Protection Agency
registration and the labeling on Medela's wipes, Medela sent a product
return notice via certified mail to all of our customers that have ever
ordered Wipes.  In most cases the letter was sent to the materials
management/purchasing department, so you might not personally receive
the notice.

 

The content of the notice is as follows:

If you are currently carrying any of the products listed below, please
remove them from your shelves and return your entire inventory to Medela
as soon as possible.  If you continue to sell any of these products, you
could be subject to fines by state or federal EPA agencies.

 

#87025 - Quick Clean Anti-Bacterial Wipes - 24 pack

#87029 - Quick Clean Anti-Bacterial Wipes - Singles

#67176 - Breastfeeding Essentials Kit (includes 2 wipes)

 

Please follow these steps to return your inventory to Medela:

1.      Remove the product from your shelves and box it up for shipment.

2.      Advise Medela via email or phone when the product is ready to be
picked up.

3.      Advise Medela as to the total number of boxes to be picked up.

4.      Medela will issue a call tag and send a carrier to pick up your
shipment.

5.      Medela will issue a credit or refund for the product once it is
received by Medela.

No re-stocking fee will be charged.

 

 

Medela realizes that our customers will have questions about the notice,
so we also included the following Frequently Asked Questions in the
certified mailing:

 

Why is Medela requesting the return of Quick Clean Wipes?

The product does not comply with EPA requirements for package labeling
and registration. This return request is not related to the quality of
the product.

 

Is there any concern with using the wipes on Medela equipment?

No.  It is an appropriate cleaning product for the equipment when used
as directed.  Medela just needs to address the registration and labeling
issues.

 

Why does this product fall under EPA regulation?

The Quick Clean Wipes packaging includes an anti-bacterial claim
regarding its intended use on hard surfaces (such as breastpump parts).
All products intended for hard surfaces with anti-bacterial claims must
be registered with the EPA.  

 

Do Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags fall under EPA regulations as well?

No.  Medela is not asking accounts to return Micro-Steam Bags.  In fact,
the Micro-Steam Bags are an excellent cleaning alternative to offer moms
in place of the Wipes.

 

Why didn't Medela register Quick Clean Wipes before the product
launched?

Medela was initially informed that our product did not need to be
registered with the EPA.  Medela was just notified of this issue, and we
are taking immediate action to correct it.

 

Is Medela notifying consumers to return purchased product?

No.  This is not a product quality issue.  The issue involves incorrect
package labeling and registration, and requires that Medela and our
dealers stop selling the product.   

 

What could happen to a Medela account if they continue to sell Quick
Clean Wipes?

If an inspector came to their store and found that the dealer was still
selling the product, the EPA could fine the dealer.

 

When will Quick Clean Wipes be available again?

We believe that it may take as long as 6 to 9 months to reintroduce the
product.  We have already begun to address this and hope to shorten this
time.  We will update you just as soon as we are done.

 

I want to reiterate that this is only a labeling and registration issue,
and not a product quality issue.  Please accept our sincere apology for
this situation. If you have questions, please call:

 

Medela Customer Service 

contact information:

888-633-3528

[log in to unmask]

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Carr Lane Quackenbush

President

Medela, Inc.


             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html