AP Reports again: ByHeart, a manufacturer of organic baby formula, recalled all of its products sold nationwide Tuesday, days after some batches were recalled in an expanding outbreak of infant botulism.
- At least 15 babies in 12 states have been sickened in the outbreak since August, with more cases pending, according to state and federal health officials. All of the infants were hospitalized after consuming ByHeart formula, officials said. No deaths have been reported.
- ByHeart officials expanded the voluntary recall from two lots announced Saturday to all products in consumers’ homes and in stores. That includes ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula and Anywhere Pack pouches of powdered formula.
- California health officials earlier confirmed that a sample from an open can of ByHeart baby formula fed to an infant who got sick contained the type of bacteria that causes the toxin linked to the outbreak.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating 84 cases of infant botulism detected since August. Of those, 36 consumed infant formula, with a more than a third who received ByHeart formula, the agency said in a statement. “This information shows that ByHeart brand formula is disproportionately represented among sick infants in this outbreak, especially given that ByHeart represents an estimated 1% of all infant formula sales in the United States,” the FDA statement said.