What is Infant Botulism?
Infant botulism is a rare but serious condition caused by the ingestion of Clostridium botulinum spores, which can grow in the intestines of infants (typically those under one year old) and produce a potent toxin. This condition usually occurs when infants consume contaminated foods, particularly honey, which is known to harbor spores.
As of November 10, 2025, this outbreak includes 15 infants with suspected or confirmed infant botulism from 12 states – Arizona 1, California 2, Illinois 2, Kentucky 1, Minnesota 1, North Carolina 1, New Jersey 1, Oregon 1, Pennsylvania 1, Rhode Island 1, Texas 2, Washington 1.
Laboratory confirmation for some cases is ongoing. For
Here it is directly from ByHeart’s website after they spent the day on Zoom with consumer groups trying to convince them the of “alternative facts.”
Together with the FDA, CDC and other state public health agencies, we share a common goal:
The primary difference between infant and adult botulism lies in the cause and mechanism of infection: adults typically get botulism from ingesting the pre-formed Clostridium botulinum toxin in contaminated food, while infants get sick from ingesting the bacterial spores, which then grow and produce the toxin inside their immature digestive tracts.
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2022 ByHealth Formula Recall Announcement
Company Announcement Date:
December 11, 2022
FDA Publish Date:
December 11, 2022
Product Type:
Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:
Potential for cross-contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii
Company Name:
ByHeart
Brand Name:
ByHeart
Product Description:
Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, Milk Based Powder with Iron for 0-12months
The product being recalled is
Bill Marler, food safety advocate and foodborne illness attorney since 1993, whose Seattle area law firm, Marler Clark’s work was recently profiled in the Netflix documentary “Poisoned,” The Dirty Truth about your Food, is calling on ByHeart to pay the medical bills and lost wages of the families of victims of the Botulism outbreak in the United
According to the ByHeart’s website, ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula was sold through their website ByHeart.com and through retail stores nationwide, including Amazon, Kroger, Walmart, Whole Foods, Target, SamsClub.com and others.
CDPH’s Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program Noted Case Increase, Launching National Investigation
What You Need to Know
The California Department of Public Health
Epidemiologic data
The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program (IBTPP), and state and local partners, are investigating a multistate outbreak of 13 infant botulism illnesses from 10 states: Arizona, California (2), Illinois (2), Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas (2), Washington.
