June 15 (Reuters) – 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 U.S. FDA and CDC contacted it late Friday 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 U.S., Target.com and Nara.com between July 2025 and June 2026. It was not sold outside of the U.S.
The Food and Drug Administration said on June 13 that the three infants were hospitalized and were undergoing treatment in California, Washington, and Pennsylvania. There were no fatalities, it said.
Earlier this year, the U.S. 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 U.S. 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.
(Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Diti Pujara)
