ByHeart Infant Formula Crisis Deepens: Four Families Sue Over Botulism Outbreak
At least four families have filed lawsuits against ByHeart, the infant formula maker at the center of a botulism outbreak, alleging that contaminated products caused their babies to fall ill with the deadly disease. The company has confirmed that laboratory tests detected Clostridium botulinum spores in its formula, which could lead to botulism if ingested.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 31 infants have been affected by the botulism outbreak, resulting in hospitalization across 15 states. However, no deaths have been reported so far. The families who sued ByHeart claim that they had chosen the formula because it contained organic whole milk and minimal additives, believing it to be a healthier option for their babies.
Hanna Everett, whose 2-month-old daughter Piper was affected by the botulism outbreak, described harrowing days in the hospital with her baby. Piper's condition improved after she received treatment, but Everett is still wracked with guilt over what she perceives as ByHeart's delay in addressing the contamination issue.
Experts argue that ByHeart should have taken comprehensive action more quickly to identify the root cause of the contamination and notify consumers. The company has faced scrutiny from federal investigators and a separate class-action lawsuit filed last week. A Washington state couple, Madison Wescott and her daughter, also sued ByHeart, alleging their child suffered chronic constipation, difficulty feeding, and extreme fatigue while taking the formula.
The botulism outbreak highlights concerns about infant formula safety. While formula makers are not required to regularly test for Clostridium botulinum, they must follow sanitary control practices to prevent contamination. The FDA has issued a warning letter to ByHeart regarding significant violations at its manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania, which was involved in the 2022 Abbott Nutrition recall.
The crisis has also raised questions about the safety of whole milk-based infant formulas like ByHeart's. Dr. Abigail Snyder, an associate professor of microbial food safety at Cornell University, stated that a warning letter like ByHeart received is "pretty unusual," but acknowledged increased regulatory activity around infant formula after the Abbott recall.
At least four families have filed lawsuits against ByHeart, the infant formula maker at the center of a botulism outbreak, alleging that contaminated products caused their babies to fall ill with the deadly disease. The company has confirmed that laboratory tests detected Clostridium botulinum spores in its formula, which could lead to botulism if ingested.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 31 infants have been affected by the botulism outbreak, resulting in hospitalization across 15 states. However, no deaths have been reported so far. The families who sued ByHeart claim that they had chosen the formula because it contained organic whole milk and minimal additives, believing it to be a healthier option for their babies.
Hanna Everett, whose 2-month-old daughter Piper was affected by the botulism outbreak, described harrowing days in the hospital with her baby. Piper's condition improved after she received treatment, but Everett is still wracked with guilt over what she perceives as ByHeart's delay in addressing the contamination issue.
Experts argue that ByHeart should have taken comprehensive action more quickly to identify the root cause of the contamination and notify consumers. The company has faced scrutiny from federal investigators and a separate class-action lawsuit filed last week. A Washington state couple, Madison Wescott and her daughter, also sued ByHeart, alleging their child suffered chronic constipation, difficulty feeding, and extreme fatigue while taking the formula.
The botulism outbreak highlights concerns about infant formula safety. While formula makers are not required to regularly test for Clostridium botulinum, they must follow sanitary control practices to prevent contamination. The FDA has issued a warning letter to ByHeart regarding significant violations at its manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania, which was involved in the 2022 Abbott Nutrition recall.
The crisis has also raised questions about the safety of whole milk-based infant formulas like ByHeart's. Dr. Abigail Snyder, an associate professor of microbial food safety at Cornell University, stated that a warning letter like ByHeart received is "pretty unusual," but acknowledged increased regulatory activity around infant formula after the Abbott recall.
This news is just heartbreaking, what would I do if my own little one got sick from a product I trusted? As someone who's lived long enough to see some changes in parenting and food safety, it breaks my heart to think that ByHeart put profits over people. The fact that they only found out about the contamination after so many babies were already affected is just inexcusable 
. These families are still dealing with the emotional trauma of their little ones getting sick, and then you add on top of it that the company was aware of the problem but didn't act fast enough... it's just too much 
. I'm glad no one has died yet, but what if? We need to make sure that companies like ByHeart are held accountable for their actions, and that our children can trust the products they're giving us 
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. I feel so bad for those families who are going through this, their little ones got sick and they're still dealing with the aftermath 
. I mean, experts are saying they should've taken more action ASAP to notify consumers and figure out what went wrong. But, you know, hindsight is 20/20, right? 
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. We should all just take a deep breath and focus on keeping our kids safe 
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. And the thing that gets me is those organic whole milk formulas are often marketed as healthier options... meanwhile, it turns out there might be contamination issues lurking in plain sight 
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. The FDA needs to get its priorities straight and make sure these companies are held accountable. And honestly, I'm still shook by the whole Abbott Nutrition recall last year... how many more recalls can we really take before someone gets seriously hurt? 
... and the thing is, whole milk-based formulas like byheart's aren't even required to be tested for clostridium botulinum as often as we'd hope 
I mean, who thinks it's okay to leave a potentially deadly bacteria in their formula? Like, what were they even doing? 
And now these families are paying the price, literally 
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. We need stricter regulations and testing to ensure these formulas are actually safe for our babies 
. I'm so over this and it's just getting worse by the day 
. The FDA should've been on top of this way earlier! 
. We should be pushing for better testing and regulation in the industry, especially when it comes to whole milk-based formulas like ByHeart's 
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not cool @ all 
and btw what's the deal with organic labels if it's gonna be tainted anyway? 
. You'd think companies would take extra precautions when producing something meant for vulnerable babies.
. We need better regulations and more transparency from companies so this doesn't happen again 
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the FDA needs to do a lot more than just give a warning letter to companies like this, they need to take REAL action to protect our children's health 
Anyway, I guess it's good that Piper got treatment and recovered 