FDA Recalls Nara Organics Baby Formula After 3 Infants Hospitalized With Botulism
Three infants — one each in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington — have been hospitalized with infant botulism. All three had been fed the same product: Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula.
The FDA issued a recall on June 13. If you have this formula at home, stop using it right now.
Don't just throw it away either. The FDA wants you to label the container "DO NOT USE," keep it separate from anything else you feed your baby, and wash every surface, bottle, or tool that may have touched it — hot soapy water or dishwasher, both work.
The formula was sold at Target stores, on Target.com, and on Nara.com between July 2025 and June 2026. Testing is still underway. The last known illness onset was May 31.
What Is Infant Botulism and Why Is It So Dangerous
Most people have heard of botulism but don't know it hits babies differently than adults.
In adults, botulism usually comes from eating food that already contains the toxin. In babies, it's different — and scarier. Infants can get sick just from ingesting spores of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Because a baby's gut bacteria and immune system are still forming, those spores can germinate inside their digestive tract and produce toxin directly. Adults' gut bacteria prevent this. Babies don't have that protection yet.
Symptoms start subtle. Constipation is usually first. Then a weak cry. Then poor feeding, drooping eyelids, floppiness, trouble swallowing. A baby who suddenly seems unusually limp or lethargic after eating needs a doctor immediately. Without treatment the disease can progress to respiratory failure. Caught early and treated properly, most infants recover fully — but early is the key word.
If your baby has shown any of these symptoms after consuming this formula, don't wait. Call your pediatrician today.
Target Has Been at the Center of Two Baby Product Recalls This Month
This formula sold at Target is the second serious baby product safety issue the retailer has faced in June alone.
Two weeks ago Target recalled its own Up & Up brand baby wipes — both the Fragrance Free and Fresh Cucumber Scented varieties — after FDA testing found bacterial contamination. The bacteria in question were Burkholderia cepacia complex and Burkholderia gladioli. In a healthy adult, these bacteria might cause a minor skin infection. In a newborn or infant, they can enter the bloodstream and lead to sepsis or pneumonia. Both are life-threatening.
What triggered the investigation? Customers noticed their wipes looked discolored. That was it — the kind of thing most parents might shrug off as a weird batch or packaging issue. Instead it turned out to be contamination.
If you have Up & Up Fragrance Free Baby Wipes manufactured between November 7 and May 5, 2026, or Fresh Cucumber Scented Baby Wipes manufactured December 29-30, 2025 — stop using them. Return them to any Target store for a full refund. Questions? Call 1-800-440-0680.
Parents Shouldn't Have to Wonder If Products Are Safe
Two recalls in two weeks. Both products marketed specifically for babies. Both sold at one of the most popular retail chains in the country.
The FDA maintains a running recall database at fda.gov and offers free email alerts when new recalls are issued — something genuinely worth signing up for if you have an infant at home. These things don't always make national headlines fast enough to reach every parent before someone else's baby gets hurt.
Three families are dealing with hospitalized infants right now because of a product they trusted. Check your cabinets. Check your wipes. Check the recall list.
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