A popular baby formula manufacturer has issued a recall due to potential cross-contamination with a bacteria that can cause sepsis.

The baby nutrition company ByHeart announced a voluntarily recall on Sunday of five batches of its Whole Nutrition Instant Formula for possible contamination with the Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria.

‘Cronobacter bacteria can cause severe, life-threatening infections (sepsis) or meningitis (an inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain and spine),’ stated the company’s recall posted through the US Food and Drug Administration.

No product distributed by ByHeart product has tested positive for the bacteria, and no consumer complaints involving sickness have been filed.

The item subject to the recall is the milk-based powder with iron for babies zero to 12 months old, in 24-oz containers. The recalled batches have the following numbers printed at the bottom: 22273 C1, 22276 C1, 22277 C1, 22278 C1, and 22280 C1. The use by date is January 1, 2024.

Sepsis and meningitis symptoms include poor feeding, temperature changes, irritability, yellow skin and whites of eyes, abnormal movements and breaths with grunting, according to the recall notice. A Cronobacter infection can also lead to bowel damage and can move the blood to other parts of the body.

Parents should not worry about baby formula that has already been consumed and they do not need to take further action, the company stated.

‘It is important to note that this recall is not related to ByHeart’s own manufacturing in any way,’ the recall states.

The company’s manufacturing plant in Reading, Pennsylvania, continues to operate and is expected to re-stock next month.

‘ByHeart knows that formula is critical to a baby’s health and growth and wants to make sure that all customers have what they need to keep their baby fed and healthy, no matter what brand of formula they use,’ stated the company.

The recall comes after a baby formula shortage across the industry earlier this year.

Abbott Nutrition, which produces brands including Similac, shuttered its manufacturing facility in Michigan for a few months due to contamination issues. It caused the Biden administration to take actions to try to alleviate the shortage.

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