Key Takeaways
- ByHeart recalled all its baby formula products after 15 babies fell ill, requiring hospitalization.
- Parents must discard any ByHeart formula at home immediately as it affects babies in 12 states.
- Federal health officials are investigating infant botulism cases linked to ByHeart formula, which represents only 1% of the market but has caused significant illness.
- Infant botulism can be serious; symptoms include constipation, weak muscles, and trouble swallowing.
- ByHeart is cooperating with the FDA and has found bacteria in an open can from a sick baby, but unopened cans have tested negative.
A baby formula maker pulled all of its products from stores and homes across the country after at least 15 babies got sick with a serious illness.
What’s Happening: ByHeart stopped selling all of its organic baby formula on Tuesday after babies in 12 states became ill since August. All 15 sick babies had to go to the hospital after drinking the formula. No babies have died.
What’s Important: Parents and caregivers need to throw away any ByHeart formula they have at home right away and stop using it. The company sells about 200,000 cans each month at stores like Target, Walmart, Albertsons and Whole Foods, and online.
Catch Up Quick: The company first recalled two batches of formula on Saturday. Now it is recalling everything, including its Whole Nutrition Infant Formula and Anywhere Pack pouches.
Between the Lines: Federal health officials are looking into 84 cases of infant botulism since August. Of those cases, 36 babies drank infant formula. More than a third of those babies drank ByHeart formula. ByHeart only makes up about 1% of all baby formula sold in the United States, which means sick babies used this brand far more than other brands.
What You Need to Know: Infant botulism is a rare but serious sickness that happens in babies under 1 year old. Babies get it when they eat bacteria that makes a poison in their stomach. Signs include constipation, trouble eating, droopy eyelids, weak muscles, trouble swallowing and breathing problems. Babies who show these signs need to see a doctor right away.
What the Company Says: ByHeart is working with the Food and Drug Administration on the recall. The company said no unopened cans have tested positive for the bacteria. But California health officials found the bacteria in an open can from a baby who got sick. The company makes its formula powder in Allerton, Iowa, and packages it in Portland, Oregon. Federal inspectors visited the Portland plant on Monday.
The Sources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, ByHeart
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
