Three infants in three states — including one infant in Thurston County — have been involved in an outbreak of botulism linked to powdered infant formula produced by Nara Organics of New York.
The Thurston County case led to the nationwide recall, according to a Thurston County Public Health and Social Services news release.
The recall is for Nara Organics Whole Milk Infant Formula, in 700g and 400g sizes, sold nationally between June 2025 and June 2026. The universal product codes for the recalled products are 860013251901 and 860013251918.
The recall went into effect on June 13.
This recall is unrelated to a similar recall in November 2025, according to the news release.
Infant botulism is a rare illness that usually affects babies less than six months of age. Babies get ill when bacteria (Clostridium botulinum) they have ingested produce a toxin that can weaken muscles. These bacteria are naturally found in dust, soil, and honey — which health officials say should never be given to babies under a year old.
It is rare for a commercial infant food product to be linked to an outbreak of infant botulism, according to a Thurston County Public Health and Social Services news release.
The three infants impacted by this outbreak have been hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No deaths have been reported.
The CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), and officials in three other states are investigating the outbreak.
This is an active investigation. For the most current updates, see the CDC Outbreak Notice and FDA Recall Information.
All cases included in this outbreak are reported to have consumed the Nara Organics brand powdered infant formula.
Nara Organics infant formula is a powdered infant formula that is sold at Target retail stores, Target.com, and Nara.com.
This brand of formula makes up less than 1% of all infant formula available in the United States, and shortages of infant formula resulting from this recall are not expected, according to the CDC.
Nara has voluntarily recalled the formula, according to a Thurston County Public Health and Social Services news release.
Anyone who has recently purchased formula from Nara Organics is advised to not use it and either throw it away or return it to the seller. Anyone who still has the container is encouraged to record the lot number before discarding.
Anyone with an open container of Nara Organics Infant Formula is asked to refer to the CDC’s recommendations:
Symptoms of infant botulism can take as long as several weeks to develop, so parents are encouraged to remain vigilant if they used the recalled lots of infant formula.
Infant botulism often starts with constipation but is usually first noticed as difficulty feeding (trouble sucking and swallowing), a weak or altered cry and loss of muscle tone, according to the CDC.
Medical professionals who suspect their infant patient has botulism are asked to immediately call 510-231-7600 for case consultation.
