Powdered Whole Milk Under Scrutiny in Infant Botulism Outbreak

Powdered whole milk — a commonly used dairy ingredient in products such as infant formula — has emerged as a potential source of contamination in a major botulism outbreak linked to ByHeart brand formula, prompting intensified testing and safety concerns in the dairy supply chain. U.S. health authorities say testing by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found the same botulism-causing bacteria in samples of organic whole milk powder used to make ByHeart formula and in unopened cans of the finished product, with both matching strains found in sick infants. This link comes as federal officials continue to investigate the outbreak that has sickened 51 babies across 19 states since late 2023.

Although the findings are not yet conclusive, and the FDA has not publicly named the milk powder supplier, the contamination signals a critical traceability and testing issue for powdered dairy inputs in sensitive nutritional products. ByHeart — which used powdered whole milk marketed as “organic, grass-fed” — has expanded recalls to all formula produced since its launch in March 2022 and says the trace findings bring investigators “significantly closer” to identifying the root cause.

Importantly, U.S. regulators report no indication of a broader infant formula supply issue beyond this case so far, and no new botulism cases have been identified since mid-December 2025. However, public health advocates are calling for mandatory raw material testing for dairy inputs in high-risk products such as infant formula to ensure safety and prevent future outbreaks linked to milk powder contamination.

Source : Dairynews7x7 Jan 26th 2026 GT

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