If an infant swallows bacterial spores from Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria can multiply in their intestines and create a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves, according to the CDC.
The spores can be naturally found in the environment, including in soil, dust, and some vegetables. Honey can also be a source of the spores that cause the botulism toxin, which is why infants under the age of 1 should not be fed honey.
The presence of C. botulinum is rare in infant formula, but it’s important to note that powdered infant formula is not considered to be sterile, unlike ready-to-feed formula. No matter how you feed your baby, experts recommend regularly sterilizing your feeding equipment, including bottles and nipples, as well as any formula dispensers, containers, cups, scoops, and mixers you may use.
The FDA, the CDC, state public health departments, and ByHeart continue to test both opened and sealed cans of ByHeart formula for the presence of C. botulinum spores, and have found several positive samples across different lots and production dates, which is part of what led to the recall expansion. But false negatives can exist. “The detection of Clostridium botulinum in infant formula is complex, and a negative test result does not rule out the presence of the bacteria in the product,” the FDA says in a statement.
The FDA requires that formula makers test for cronobacter and salmonella species in the finished product, Rogers says, but not for the C. botulinum toxin. Most formula manufacturers do not currently test for the presence of C. botulinum spores as a regular practice, and the spores can be difficult to detect. Bobbie, another formula maker, recently announced that it would start to test their formula for sulfite-reducing clostridia (SRC), a screening used to identify potential spore-forming bacteria, including C. botulinum, the company says. A positive result would indicate the need for further testing.
