Nara Organics recalls baby formula sold at Target after multistate infant botulism outbreak

Nara Organics issued a nationwide recall of its Whole Milk Organic Powdered infant formula on Saturday after a multistate outbreak of infant botulism linked to the product. Three babies between 2 and 5 months old in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington became ill in April and May after consuming the formula, which is sold at Target stores and online at Nara.com. All affected infants were hospitalized and treated with BabyBIG, an FDA-approved IV medication for infant botulism. The recalled formula accounts for less than 1% of all infant formula sold in the U.S., and authorities confirmed no shortage concerns for parents. Infant botulism is a rare but serious condition caused by toxin-producing bacteria spores in the gut, affecting babies under one year old. Symptoms include constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids, weak muscle tone, swallowing difficulties, and breathing problems. The CDC advised parents to immediately stop using the formula and recommended labeling opened cans with ‘DO NOT USE’ before storing them safely for at least a month. If no symptoms appear within a month, the leftover formula should be discarded. The product is manufactured in Europe but distributed exclusively in the U.S. Parents are urged to monitor their infants for symptoms and seek immediate medical attention if any arise. The FDA and CDC emphasized the importance of following recall instructions to prevent further cases of infant botulism.