Parents, double-check that baby formula in the pantry. After an outbreak of botulism that hospitalized dozens of babies last winter, the FDA has discovered a potential source. After 51 babies fell ill across 19 states with botulism, New York-based ByHeart Inc. voluntarily recalled their Whole Nutrition Infant Formula.<\/p>\n
After an outbreak of infant botulism, the FDA began testing ByHeart\u2019s popular baby formula to determine the cause. AP<\/span> Now, follow-up testing by the FDA has discovered a potential source of the deadly illness. After comparing samples from a sick baby to an unopened can of formula, bacteria were discovered to come from organic whole milk powder.<\/p>\n ByHeart used this ingredient to make their popular milk-based formula with iron, including the recalled lots 206VABP\/251261P2 and 206VABP\/251131P2. However, the test results are not conclusive, and the FDA is continuing its investigation into the source of the contamination. Meanwhile, the supplier of the powdered milk has not been identified.<\/p>\n The FDA discovered the potential source was bacteria in organic whole milk powder used in the formula. AP<\/span> According to the CDC, no new cases have been reported since mid-December, and there have been no deaths. Infant botulism cases were initially reported across multiple states starting back in 2023, including California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and more. Although rare, this illness is a life-threatening condition caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. This can cause constipation, as well as difficulty feeding, a weak or altered cry, and lack of head control.<\/p>\n The contaminated baby formula accounted for an estimated 1% of national formula sales, according to the CDC. Those who bought the recalled formula are advised to use hot, soapy water to clean any items or surfaces that touched the contaminated product. The FDA also urged caregivers to seek immediate help if an infant who consumed the formula begins experiencing poor feeding, loss of head control, difficulty swallowing, or decreased facial expression.<\/p>\n Following the investigation and continued testing, ByHeart is committed to improving the manufacturing of its key product. \u201cWe are focused on the root cause and our responsibility to act on what we\u2019ve learned to help create a safer future for ByHeart and infant formula,\u201d Dr. Devon Kuehn, ByHeart\u2019s chief scientific and medical officer, told Fox News. This news comes after the FDA and Health and Human Services announced \u201cOperation Stork Speed\u201c, an initiative to increase testing of domestic infant formula supply for contaminants, including heavy metals, last March.<\/p>\n The discovery of the potential source of the botulism outbreak from contaminated infant formula is a significant step towards ensuring the safety of infant nutrition. It highlights the importance of rigorous testing and quality control measures in the production of infant formula. Parents and caregivers must remain vigilant and follow the guidelines provided by health authorities to protect their infants from such risks.<\/p>\n Possible Source of Botulism Outbreak from Contaminated Infant Formula Discovered Introduction to the Outbreak Parents, double-check that baby formula in the pantry. After an outbreak of botulism that hospitalized dozens of babies last winter, the FDA has discovered a potential source. After 51 babies fell ill across 19 states with botulism, New York-based ByHeart Inc. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":28193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-28191","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-wellness"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/119668846.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200&w=1200&resize=1200,799&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28191"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28191"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28194,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28191\/revisions\/28194"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Details of the Contaminated Product<\/h3>\n
The Cause and Symptoms of Infant Botulism<\/h2>\n
Prevalence and Impact<\/h3>\n
Response and Future Actions<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\n
\nA: The potential source of the botulism outbreak has been identified as bacteria in organic whole milk powder used in the formula.<\/li>\n
\nA: The outbreak was reported across 19 states, including California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and more.<\/li>\n
\nA: Symptoms include constipation, difficulty feeding, a weak or altered cry, and lack of head control.<\/li>\n
\nA: Parents should use hot, soapy water to clean any items or surfaces that touched the contaminated product and seek immediate help if their infant shows signs of illness.<\/li>\n
\nA: The supplier of the powdered milk has not been identified as of the last update.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"