In a concerning development, Nara Organics has issued a recall of its organic baby formula, prompted by an outbreak of infant botulism affecting several states. Distributed through Target stores nationwide and available online, this product recall was announced on Saturday by federal authorities.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that between April and May, three infants aged between 2 to 5 months fell ill after consuming the Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered infant formula. These cases were documented in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington. The affected infants were subsequently hospitalized and received treatment approved by the FDA specifically for infant botulism.
Infant botulism, although rare, is a serious condition that typically affects babies under one year old. This vulnerability is due to their still-developing gut microbiome. The illness occurs when infants ingest bacteria that contain spores capable of producing toxins in the digestive system.
Symptoms of this potentially dangerous condition include constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids, weak muscle tone, difficulties in swallowing, and breathing complications. These symptoms signify the severity and urgency of addressing such outbreaks, emphasizing the need for vigilance in infant nutrition safety.
Symptoms include constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids, weak muscle tone, difficulty swallowing and breathing problems, among others.
Babies who develop those symptoms need immediate medical attention. The sole treatment is BabyBIG, an IV medication made from blood plasma of people immunized against botulism.
Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Infant Formula makes up less than 1% of all infant formula sold in the United States, and the outbreak does not create shortage concerns for parents and caregivers, the FDA said.
People who have the formula are urged to stop using it immediately, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said in a statement. The formula is manufactured in Europe but sold only in the U.S., it added.
The CDC recommended that anyone with an opened can take a picture, record the lot number and use-by date and watch their infants for symptoms.
“Label it ‘DO NOT USE’ and keep it stored in a safe place away from other items you feed your baby for at least a month,” the CDC said. “If no symptoms appear after a month, throw the leftover formula away.”
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