What We Know About the Nara Organics Infant Formula Botulism Outbreak
The Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program, run by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), has confirmed four infant botulism cases tied to Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Infant Formula, in California (2), Pennsylvania (1), and Washington (1). CDC reports the four illness onsets ran from April 20 to May 31, 2026, and that the infants were between 68 days (2 months) and 153 days (5 months) old when they got sick. FDA reported that California’s infant botulism program identified the first three cases as Clostridium botulinum toxin type A.
CDC reports that all four infants were hospitalized and treated with BabyBIG (Botulism Immune Globulin Intravenous), the specialized antitoxin for infant botulism. The fourth case, a second California infant, was added on July 6, 2026. No deaths have been reported.
Infant botulism linked to powdered infant formula is extremely rare. This is the second such outbreak the FDA and CDC have investigated in under a year, following the 2025 recall of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula. FDA’s traceback found that the Nara lots linked to illness were made with milk from Organic West Milk and spray dried by Dairy Farmers of America, the same suppliers involved in the ByHeart outbreak. On August 27, 2026, FDA reported that whole genome sequencing matched a sample from one infant in this outbreak to a sample from an infant in the ByHeart outbreak, a ByHeart formula base sample, and four unopened cans of ByHeart formula. FDA says the matching results and the shared suppliers indicate a common source of contamination between the two outbreaks, but it doesn’t yet have enough evidence to tell whether the milk was contaminated before or during drying, and its root cause investigation is ongoing. FDA also says that when it traced Organic West Milk’s customers during the 2025 investigation, the company handed over an incomplete customer list that left out the manufacturers of Nara Organics formula, and that Organic West Milk has since told FDA the earlier list should have included them.
How Investigators Linked the Formula to the Illnesses
California’s infant botulism program spotted a cluster of cases with one exposure in common: the babies had all been fed Nara Organics powdered infant formula. On Friday, June 12, 2026, with three cases known, the FDA and CDC brought those findings to Nara Organics and recommended recalling every lot, not just the ones the sick babies were fed, citing how sick the infants were and how clear the epidemiological signal was. The company agreed the next day.
CDPH later found Clostridium botulinum in an opened can taken from the home of one of the sick infants. On August 27, 2026, CDC declared the outbreak over and said epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory data showed that Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Infant Formula was contaminated and made infants sick. The fourth infant counted in the outbreak had also been fed Nara Organics formula.
The Recall
Nara Organics, based in New York, NY, is recalling all lots of its Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula, 377,610 cans in two sizes:
- 24.7 oz (700 g), UPC 860013251901
- 14.1 oz (400 g), UPC 860013251918
The formula was sold at Target stores, Target.com, and Nara.com and was distributed nationally between July 2025 and June 2026. It wasn’t sold outside the United States, and all of the formula was manufactured in Europe. FDA classified the recall Class I, the agency’s most serious recall class.
The lot code is printed on the bottom of each can. These are the recalled codes:
- 408125075E14F2
- 708125076E14F2
- 708125083E14F2
- 408125139E14F2
- 708125141E14F2
- 708125145E14F2
- 708125174E14F2
- 709125273E14F2
- 709125280E14F2
- 709125288E14F2
- 409125307E14F2
- 70926019ENNB
- 70926029ENNB
- 70926035ENNB
- 70926039ENNB
- 70926042ENNB
Use-by dates on the recalled cans run from March 16, 2027 to February 11, 2028.
The lots fed to the hospitalized infants include 709125280E14F2, 709125288E14F2, and 708125174E14F2.
Nara Organics Refunds
Nara Organics has said it will automatically refund customers who bought formula from its website in May and June 2026. Other customers with unused product can request a refund through the company, and Target customers can return the product to a Target store.
First Lawsuit Filed Against Nara Organics
On June 17, 2026, Ron Simon & Associates and Gomez Trial Attorneys filed the first lawsuit in this outbreak, in Riverside County, California, on behalf of a 3-month-old infant identified by the initials P.R. Ron Simon & Associates alleges the baby was fed Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula, developed infant botulism, and was hospitalized for ten days at Permanente Fontana Medical Center, where he received BabyBIG antitoxin and other life-saving care. He was discharged on May 28, 2026 and continues to require medical treatment. The lawsuit names both Nara Organics, the maker of the formula, and Target, the retailer that sold it.
“Infant formula is one of the few products that parents must trust completely and without question,” said Ron Simon, founding attorney of Ron Simon & Associates. “We intend to hold Nara Organics fully accountable.”
Ron Simon & Associates has opened a Nara Organics Infant Formula Claim Center and is investigating additional claims for families whose infants were fed the recalled formula. If your baby consumed Nara Organics formula, you can reach the firm at 1-888-335-4901.
Your Legal Rights
If your baby was fed Nara Organics formula and was diagnosed with infant botulism or showed symptoms of it, your family may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, hospital care, lost wages, and the pain the illness caused. A formula claim doesn’t necessarily stop at the manufacturer. Target sold the recalled cans, and the first lawsuit here names both companies. Hospital records such as the admission notes, BabyBIG order, and discharge summary document the diagnosis, treatment, and effect on your family. Photos of the can and its lot code, your receipt, Target account history, or Nara order record can help show which formula your baby received. An attorney reviews those records together with the timing and public health findings.
Ron Simon & Associates is a food poisoning law firm that has recovered more than $850 million for victims across the country. Our attorneys focus exclusively on foodborne illness cases. Talk to a botulism lawyer today. You pay us nothing unless we win your case, and the consultation is always free.