Target left botulism-linked infant formula on store shelves, FDA says
-
Click here to listen to this article - Share via
See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred
- Target failed to remove ByHeart infant formula from shelves despite U.S. Food and Drug Administration recall notices, with the contaminated product remaining available in 20 states through mid-November.
- The recalled formula is linked to a multistate botulism outbreak that has hospitalized 51 infants across 19 states, with no deaths reported to date.
- The FDA sent warning letters to Target and three other major retailers; Target blamed lack of staff awareness and confusion about which product lots were affected.
Infant formula that could have been tainted with botulism remained on Target shelves after a recall, according to federal officials.
The chain store failed to quickly remove the recalled formula, ByHeart — linked to a nationwide botulism outbreak — from its retail locations in several states including California, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.
To date, the outbreak has led to the hospitalization of 51 infants. No deaths have been reported.
On Monday, the FDA announced that it sent warning letters to four of the nation’s top retail stores — Target, Walmart, Kroger and Albertsons — when the companies hadn’t removed ByHeart from their stores in certain states despite being notified of the recall.
Target was the only company of the four that hadn’t removed the recalled product from its stores in California.
ByHeart Inc. initiated a voluntary recall of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula on Nov. 8, and three days later, the company expanded the recall to include all unexpired lots of formula cans and single-serve “anywhere pack” sticks. Target was directly notified of both recall notices, according to the FDA.
In response, the warning letter states, Target said it placed an electronic block on the SKU for the recalled products on the day of the first recall notice and again with the second recall notice.
However, subsequent visits by FDA regulators confirmed that the recalled products remained available for purchase in Target’s retail locations across 20 states, including California, from Nov. 12 through 20, according to the warning letter.
According to those investigating, store associates said the recalled product was still on shelves because of “a lack of awareness of the recall notice, confusion regarding which specific lots were affected, failure to remove all impacted product, and stocking products that arrived after the recall notification.”
As of Dec. 12, Target had not provided the FDA with any information demonstrating that corrective actions had been taken.
The store responded in a statement to The Times: “Following the national recall of ByHeart products, Target immediately notified guests, initiated refunds and began removing all ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant formula products from shelves and online, and we have engaged a systematic lock to prevent purchase at point of sale.”
As of Dec. 10, reports of cases linked to the infant botulism outbreak had slowed, and public health officials have not added any new cases to this investigation.
Illnesses were reported as far back as Dec. 24, 2023, and as recently as Dec. 1 of this year. Laboratory confirmation for some cases is ongoing.
More From the Los Angeles Times
![Olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings have been released to the wild after eggs were successfully hatched at the non-profit Aquarium of the Pacific. In an unprecedented event, two olive ridley sea turtle nests were discovered in mid-September in Seal Beach and Huntington Beach, California. The discovery represents the first-ever confirmed instance of natural sea turtle nesting on the U.S. West Coast. The eggs were then relocated to the Aquarium for protection due to a tropical storm. The Aquarium was selected to care for the sea turtle eggs due to its expertise and resources for animal care. Photo Information: This imagery was captured at a safe distance using red or infrared lighting, or no lighting during, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service coordinated activity where sea turtles were not harmed. Sea turtles are protected and should not be disturbed or harassed. [If you see a stranded sea turtle, notify a local lifeguard or call NOAA's sea turtle stranding hotline at 562-506-4315.]](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8da360c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2917x1945+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F49%2Fc6%2F874c95194b14952c3259f26719c5%2Fme-olive-ridley-sea-turtle-hatchlings-released-03.JPG)
Podcasts
William Mulholland was the water boss who made L.A. possible. His reputation gave him unchecked authority as a dam builder. In 1928, that led to one of America’s deadliest disasters--and the question of whether it was a crime.
It started as a ploy to scare Texas out of redrawing its congressional map and ended with California voters approving a new map of their own, one that could hat could help alter the balance of power in Washington.
On this week’s episode of Boiling Point, Miranda Green speaks with Los Angeles Times climate reporter Hayley Smith about how AI bots are meddling in California’s clean energy policymaking.
