Byheart is recalling all baby formula sold nationwide as botulism outbreaks erupt
By Jonel Aleccia, accompanying health writer
Byheart, a maker of organic infant formula, recalled all of its products for sale Tuesday, days after a number of recalls were linked to a growing outbreak of infant botulism.
At least 15 children in 12 states have been sickened in the outbreak since August, and more cases are still pending, according to state and federal health officials. All the infants were admitted to the hospital after consuming Byheart Formula, officials said. No deaths were reported.
Byheart authorities expanded the voluntary recall from two courses announced on Saturday for all products in consumer homes and stores. That includes the ByHEART formula all of the Forkont formula of the Byheart and wherever you pack Photos of the effective formula. The company sells about 200,000 cans of infant formula a month online and at stores such as Target, Walmart, Albertsons and Whole Foods, according to Dr. Devon Kuehn, majoring in medicine.
Parents and caregivers who have formula in their homes “should discontinue use and dispose of the product,” Keehn said.
Company officials said they had issued a rare recall “in conjunction” with food and drug administration “despite the fact that TheHeart YourHeart has tested positive” for contamination.
California health authorities previously confirmed that the most open sample of the ByHEART FOLDE OFT baby formula
“This action underscores Byheart’s Core Mission: Protecting children above all else,” the company said in a statement.
The US Food and Drug Administration is investigating 84 cases of infant implantation since August. Of those, 36 infants, over the age of three, received ByHEart formula, the agency said in a statement.
“This information indicates that the ByHeart product formula is well represented among sick infants in this outbreak, particularly given that ByHEart represents all formula sales in the United States,” the FDA statement said.
Byheart produces the formala powder at a plant in Allerton, Iowa, and then supplies it at a site in Portland, Oregon, for distribution, Keehn said. Food inspectors and narcotics officers were at the Portland Plant on Monday, he added.
In addition to the extensive recall, the company said it is testing every batch of formula with a third-party lab, providing health officials with full access to its sites and sharing the results.
Infant botulism is a rare and serious complication that occurs in children under 1 year of age, whose gut microbiomes are immature. It is caused when babies eat bacteria that contain spores that produce a toxin in the stomach. Symptoms include constipation, poor feeding, eyelid drooping, weak muscle tone, difficulty swallowing and breathing, among others.
Babies who develop those symptoms need immediate treatment. The only treatment for the infection is babybig, an IV drug made from human plasma for botulism.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s science department. AP is responsible for all content.
