Lower risk Medical device recall · FDA · Published June 21, 2018

BD BBL GC-Lect Agar recall: Gentamicin instead of Vancomycin causes false negatives

Becton Dickinson recalls BD BBL GC-Lect Agar (Cat. No. 297715) due to using Gentamicin instead of Vancomycin, which may cause false negative results for Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections.

Plain-English summary generated from official FDA data by GovInfoNow · Published by Carlos Caban · How we make summaries

🇺🇸 FDA recall #Z-2869-2018Medical device Becton Dickinson ›

Lower-risk recall

A portion of this lot was manufactured using Gentamicin instead of Vancomycin. Gentamicin is an inhibitory agent of Neisseria organisms. This product is a selective plated medium to provide enhanced growth and recovery of N gonorrhoeae. Inhibited growth may cause a false negative result or a delayed result leading to incorrect or delayed treatment.

Take action

Contact the company

Recalling firmBecton Dickinson & Co.7 Loveton Cir, BD Diagnostic Systems · Sparks, MD 21152-9212

✎ GovInfoNow plain-language explainer

Becton Dickinson is recalling BD BBL GC-Lect Agar (Cat. No. 297715) because some units were made with Gentamicin instead of Vancomycin. This can lead to false negative test results for gonorrhea, risking incorrect or delayed treatment. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/70793-bd-bbl-gc-lect-agar-recall-gentamicin-instead-of-vancomycin.

Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/70793-bd-bbl-gc-lect-agar-recall-gentamicin-instead-of-vancomycin · Updated August 20, 2026 · FDA enforcement record: FDA #Z-2869-2018

Cite this page

“BD BBL GC-Lect Agar recall: Gentamicin instead of Vancomycin causes false negatives.” GovInfoNow, updated August 20, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/70793-bd-bbl-gc-lect-agar-recall-gentamicin-instead-of-vancomycin. Based on FDA recall #Z-2869-2018 (https://api.fda.gov/device/enforcement.json?search=recall_number:%22Z-2869-2018%22&limit=1).

The FDA announced on June 21, 2018, that Becton Dickinson & Co. voluntarily recalled BD BBL GC-Lect Agar (Cat. No. 297715) due to a manufacturing error involving the wrong antibiotic agent. The agency stated the recall was initiated by the firm.

How to tell if you have it

Brand: Becton Dickinson
Product: BD BBL GC-Lect Agar
Catalog No.: 297715

The hazard

A portion of the recalled lot was manufactured using Gentamicin instead of Vancomycin. Because Gentamicin inhibits Neisseria organisms, this error may cause inhibited growth of N gonorrhoeae, potentially leading to false negative or delayed results and incorrect treatment.

Context

GovInfoNow's records show Becton Dickinson & Co. has 43 other recalls on record since June 1, 2017. Recent brand recalls include the BD GasP: CO2 Pouch System Recall for low CO2 levels risk (April 7, 2026), the BD Kiestra Isolate Suspension Cuvette Array recall for barcode errors (Oct. 23, 2025), and the BD MAX System Recall for unauthorized access risk (Sept. 23, 2025). Other recent recalls of similar products include the Remel GC Agar Base Recall for reduced Neisseria gonorrhoeae recovery risk (June 3, 2026) and the Meridian Bioscience Revogene C. difficile Test Recall for false-negative risk (Dec. 5, 2025).

How to tell if you have this one

Check for the product name 'BD BBL GC-Lect Agar' and catalog number 297715. This product was sold by Becton Dickinson & Co. for laboratory use.

Brand
Becton Dickinson
Category
Medical device

Based on the official FDA remedy

What to do — step by step

Check Product Details
Verify the catalog number on the product label to confirm if it's 297715.

Where it went and when

Where it was distributed

Distributed in 28 states and D.C..

FDA distribution: “US Distribution in states of: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, MS, MT, NC, JH, NY, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, WA, and WI.” States read from FDA’s own wording; “not listed” means the notice does not name it.

States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin.

Recall timeline

FDA terminated this recall 13 months after the firm started it.

Jun 21, 2018Firm started the recall
Aug 17, 2018FDA classified it Class II
Aug 29, 2018Published in FDA’s Enforcement Report
Jul 9, 2019FDA terminated the recall

Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.

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Link to this recall

<a href="https://govinfonow.com/recall/70793-bd-bbl-gc-lect-agar-recall-gentamicin-instead-of-vancomycin">BD BBL GC-Lect Agar recall: Gentamicin instead of Vancomycin causes false negatives (GovInfoNow)</a>

Where this comes from

The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official FDA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.

Official source: FDA Recall #Z-2869-2018 (June 21, 2018) — FDA publishes no per-recall page; this is the official machine-readable enforcement record. Search FDA recalls for Z-2869-2018 to see it in context.
Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on August 20, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the FDA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official FDA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.