Baby formula maker Nara issues US-wide recall after FDA, CDC flag infant botulism cases

Baby formula maker Nara Organics said it is voluntarily recalling all of its infant formula, currently available in the United States, over potential risk of bacterial contamination.

The company said the US FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) contacted it late on June 12 and provided information about three infant botulism cases involving babies who had consumed Nara’s formula.

Infant botulism occurs when babies ingest spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which can grow in their immature digestive systems and produce toxins. Symptoms include constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids, breathing difficulties and could also lead to respiratory arrest in severe cases.

In its statement, Nara Organics said that while none of its formula tested positive for C. botulinum, it was recalling the products “in an abundance of caution”.

The company added that its powdered infant formula was sold across Target retail stores in the US, Target.com and Nara.com between July 2025 and June 2026. It was not sold outside of the US.

The Food and Drug Administration said on June 13 that the three infants were hospitalised and were undergoing treatment in California, Washington, and Pennsylvania. There were no fatalities, it said.

Earlier in 2026, the US saw a multi-state infant botulism outbreak linked to ByHeart’s powdered formula. In May, New Zealand’s a2 Milk recalled three batches of its a2 Platinum formula sold in the US after detecting the toxin cereulide.

The FDA in April had said tests confirmed samples of infant formula available in the country contained very low levels of contaminants, confirming that the nation’s supply was safe for consumption. REUTERS