Outbreak of Infant Botulism Doubles; ByHeart Formula Confirmed as Source.
ByHeart, a baby formula brand, has confirmed the presence of Clostridium botulinum in its products, according to an independent test. The news comes as an infant botulism outbreak, which had doubled since last week, continues to spread.
The outbreak, announced on November 8, has seen 31 cases across 15 states - more than double from the 15 cases reported last week. All 31 cases have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported so far.
Initially, ByHeart was quick to deny any connection between its formula and the infant botulism cases. In a video posted on social media at the time, co-founder Mia Funt stated that "there is no reason to believe" that infant formula can cause infant botulism. However, after an independent food-testing company confirmed the presence of Clostridium botulinum in some samples of ByHeart formula, the company has since admitted fault.
ByHeart has voluntarily recalled two batches of its formula and now recommends that parents stop using its products immediately. The company is cooperating with the FDA to investigate how its formula became contaminated and has expanded the list of potential contaminants for its products.
The FDA is still conducting tests on ByHeart's products, but it appears that a link between the infant botulism cases and the baby formula can no longer be denied.
ByHeart, a baby formula brand, has confirmed the presence of Clostridium botulinum in its products, according to an independent test. The news comes as an infant botulism outbreak, which had doubled since last week, continues to spread.
The outbreak, announced on November 8, has seen 31 cases across 15 states - more than double from the 15 cases reported last week. All 31 cases have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported so far.
Initially, ByHeart was quick to deny any connection between its formula and the infant botulism cases. In a video posted on social media at the time, co-founder Mia Funt stated that "there is no reason to believe" that infant formula can cause infant botulism. However, after an independent food-testing company confirmed the presence of Clostridium botulinum in some samples of ByHeart formula, the company has since admitted fault.
ByHeart has voluntarily recalled two batches of its formula and now recommends that parents stop using its products immediately. The company is cooperating with the FDA to investigate how its formula became contaminated and has expanded the list of potential contaminants for its products.
The FDA is still conducting tests on ByHeart's products, but it appears that a link between the infant botulism cases and the baby formula can no longer be denied.
Great, just what we needed to make our lives more exciting - another reason to worry about our babies while they're sleeping... I mean, who needs peace of mind when you've got a batch of contaminated formula, right? 
ByHeart's response time was impressive, though - from denying any connection to admitting fault in like, 3 days. That's some next-level crisis management skills 
. On the bright side, parents can finally use their extra $5/month to buy another brand...
just heard about this ByHeart formula recall and I'm so concerned about all these babies getting sick. Like, how could they not have tested their ingredients properly? 
and now it's doubling in numbers? that's not good at all. I feel for the parents who are already stressed out with their little ones and now they've got to worry about contaminated food too... 
but at least ByHeart is taking responsibility and cooperating with the FDA, so fingers crossed they figure out what went wrong and make it right 
they're lucky to be alive right now, but what about those who might not make it? 
my heart goes out to their families too... the fact that ByHeart was so quick to deny any connection between their formula and the outbreaks makes me wonder if there were other issues with their production process 
They're finally owning up to their mistake and taking responsibility for putting babies at risk. But at the same time, how could they have let this happen in the first place? 
anyone have any other baby formula brand recs?
My anxiety levels are through the roof! How could they not test their products properly before releasing them to the market?! 
I mean I knew something was up with ByHeart Formula, my little one has been having some issues since they started using it... like projectile vomiting and diarrhea all the time... I didn't think much of it, but now I'm like " Wait a minute!" 
Guess we've learned another lesson about the importance of safety checks on food products 
but i think we need to stay calm and focus on finding solutions 
we need to trust the experts and give them time to investigate this further 
meanwhile, i hope those little ones who got sick will recover soon 
and that ByHeart comes up with a way to make sure this doesn't happen again 
this is super scary! I mean, I already knew we should've been super cautious about buying generic formulas from unknown brands, but now it seems like some major brands like ByHeart can't even get their act together 
Anyway, I'm glad they're recalling the formula and telling parents to stop using it ASAP 
I'm not surprised this happened... like, we've been hearing about how easy it is to contaminate food production with bacteria for ages 
. It just feels like they were trying to save face instead of taking responsibility 
. I mean, can't you just test your products for botulism before selling them? 
I mean, I get that it was an independent test and all, but 15 states affected is still a lot to handle. Hopefully the FDA can get to the bottom of this ASAP so we can move forward with some real safety measures in place...
what if it was worse? what if they didnt catch it in time? i always thought byheart was this super safe brand, but i guess you never know... the thing is, why did they wait so long to admit fault? like, how many more kids are gonna get sick because of their formula 
after she switched to ByHeart formula. I mean, I knew there were some recalls going around but I didn't think it was that bad. Now that we know the formula is contaminated, I'm super angry 
at the company for not being more transparent earlier. It's just so sad when you have to worry about something as simple as feeding your baby...