An organic baby formula sold at Target has been voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer after three infants who consumed the product were infected with a deadly bacterium.
According to the FDA, the makers of Nara Organics Powdered Infant Formula are recalling all lots of the product out of an “abundance of caution” after three infants were hospitalized in California, Washington and Pennsylvania with infant botulism.
The formula is distributed nationally through Target stores and the Nara.com website.
Per the FDA, all three infants were given BabyBIG, an antitoxin used to treat infant botulism, and have survived the infection.
A rare but potentially grave illness, infant botulism occurs when clostridium botulinum spores are ingested and germinate in infants’ immature guts, producing botulinum neurotoxins.
Parents of children less than a year old should be mindful of infant botulism symptoms, such as constipation, poor feeding habits, weakness (particularly in the infant’s facial area), weak crying, lack of head control and difficulty breathing.
The symptoms may appear up to a month after exposure, and early treatment is critical. If infants begin to exhibit these symptoms, immediate medical care is called for.
Botulism can be fatal — causing death in 5% to 10% of cases — and presents “a serious threat to the health of infants,” according to the FDA.
In these most recent cases, the infants, who were between 2 and 5 months old when they became ill, were given the formula between April and May of this year.
The three product lots consumed by the hospitalized infants are 709125280E14F2, 709125288E14F2, and 708125174E14F2.
Lot numbers can be found on the bottom of the formula containers.
Thus far, zero lots of Nara Organics Powdered Infant Formula have tested positive for Clostridium botulinum, but the company is voluntarily recalling all whole-milk infant powdered products.
Nara Organics is working closely with the FDA, CDC, and state partners to find the root cause of these cases.
While the bacteria that cause botulism are quite common, they rarely cause illness when eaten, as the spores they produce require specific conditions to produce the lethal toxin.
Among these conditions are an environment with low or no oxygen, low acidity, low sugar, low salt, specific water levels and/or a temperature range.
According to the FDA, consumers should cease using the products immediately and can request a full refund through the Nara website. Target customers can request a refund online or in person at a store location.
The FDA recommends that any remaining product be kept in a safe place away from other food and clearly marked “Do Not Use,” as state health officials may request samples for testing.
The agency maintains that Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Infant Formula accounts for less than 1% of all infant formula sold in the US, and that this outbreak does not create shortage concerns.
This is not the first time in recent history that a formula has posed a potentially fatal risk.
Last winter, an outbreak of botulism linked to ByHeart Inc.’s Whole Nutrition Infant Formula led to the hospitalization of dozens of babies. In a June update, the FDA said that the outbreak resulted in about 48 illnesses, including 28 confirmed cases.
Meanwhile, this spring, the FDA issued its most serious recall for peeled garlic sold in New York, Vermont, and Pennsylvania over a potential botulism risk.
In March, a young Arizona woman nearly lost her life after eating a fermented swordfish dish contaminated with botulism.
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