Nara Organics Infant Formula and the Botulism Outbreak Investigation
In mid-2026, federal and state health authorities linked four cases of infant botulism, in California, Pennsylvania and Washington, to Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula. Nara Organics recalled the product on 13 June 2026. Families have since filed individual lawsuits against the company and Target. There is no class settlement, no claims administrator and no deadline to file a claim — what exists right now is litigation, and this page explains what is actually documented, what the lawsuits allege, and how this outbreak differs from a separate, unrelated infant botulism case involving a different company.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What Investigators Found, and What the Lawsuits Allege
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated a multistate outbreak of infant botulism: four infants across California, Pennsylvania and Washington fell ill, with symptom onset between April and May 2026. All four had been fed Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula. Nara Organics recalled its entire Whole Milk Organic Infant Formula line on 13 June 2026 after federal and state authorities connected the product to the outbreak. The product was manufactured in Germany and sold exclusively in the United States, through Target stores, Target.com and Nara.com, between July 2025 and June 2026. The lawsuits allege that Nara Organics sold an infant formula built on whole milk despite the botulism risk associated with that ingredient having already been documented by federal authorities, and despite a nearly identical prior outbreak — and that the company marketed this feature to parents as a quality attribute rather than warning them of the risk. Nara Organics and Target have not been found liable in these matters; the allegations are, at this stage, allegations.
Case Details
Jin Nam and Jisun Lee v. Nara Organics Inc., Target Corp., and Does 1 through [unnamed defendants], filed 23 July 2026 in federal court in Washington. Separate suits have been filed by Marler Clark (The Food Safety Law Firm) on behalf of an infant hospitalized with botulism in June 2026, and by Ron Simon & Associates on behalf of a three-month-old infant. These are individual cases, not a consolidated class action.
Where This Stands Today
Active, individual lawsuits. No settlement of any kind. FDA and CDC investigated four confirmed cases of infant botulism, in California, Pennsylvania and Washington, with symptom onset between April and May 2026, all linked to Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula. Nara Organics recalled the entire product line on 13 June 2026.
At least three lawsuits have followed. Marler Clark filed for a family whose infant was hospitalized in June 2026. Ron Simon & Associates filed on behalf of a three-month-old. And on 23 July 2026, Jin Nam and Jisun Lee filed a federal complaint in Washington against Nara Organics Inc., Target Corp., and unnamed additional defendants.
There is no multidistrict litigation, no class certification, no settlement fund and no claims administrator associated with Nara Organics at this time. Each case is proceeding on its own. Nothing here should be confused with a claims process — there is not one to join.
Who These Cases Involve
The confirmed cases share a specific fact pattern: an infant fed Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula who was subsequently diagnosed with botulism, with symptom onset in the April-May 2026 window during the outbreak investigation. A handful of things are worth being precise about:
- The recalled product is specific. It is Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula, sold July 2025 through June 2026 via Target stores, Target.com and Nara.com. Other Nara Organics products or other brands of infant formula are not what this recall or these lawsuits concern.
- Diagnosis matters, not just exposure. Having fed an infant the recalled formula is not itself a legal claim. A documented diagnosis of infant botulism, with the medical records connecting it to the timeline, is what a lawsuit like this is built on.
- This is not the ByHeart case. A separate, unrelated infant botulism matter involving a different manufacturer, ByHeart, was also active in 2026 (see below). Confusing the two outbreaks — or their case counts — will not help a claim and could actively harm one.
If your infant was fed this product and became ill, or you believe they were exposed, a pediatrician's evaluation comes first. This page is not medical guidance and is not a substitute for one.
Two Separate 2026 Infant Botulism Cases — Do Not Mix Them Up
2026 saw two distinct infant botulism matters connected to powdered formula products, and press coverage sometimes blurs them together. They involve different companies, different products, different courts and different numbers.
Nara Organics (this page): four confirmed infant botulism cases across California, Pennsylvania and Washington, tied to Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula, symptom onset April-May 2026, recall 13 June 2026. Litigation is a set of individual lawsuits, including one filed 23 July 2026 in federal court in Washington.
ByHeart (a separate matter): 48 hospitalized infants across 19 states, no reported deaths, consolidated as MDL 3178 in the Southern District of New York. Different manufacturer, different product, different court, and a materially larger case count.
Because both involve infant botulism and powdered formula in the same year, it is easy for a family, or a news summary, to attach the wrong number or the wrong court to the wrong case. If you are trying to determine which outbreak affected your child, the product label and the diagnosis date matter more than any headline figure.
How This Developed
- 1
July 2025 — the product goes on sale
Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula, manufactured in Germany, begins selling in the United States through Target stores, Target.com and Nara.com.
- 2
April-May 2026 — symptom onset in four infants
Four infants across California, Pennsylvania and Washington develop symptoms later diagnosed as botulism. All had been fed Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula.
- 3
FDA and CDC investigate
Federal and state health authorities investigate the four cases as a multistate outbreak and connect them to the product.
- 4
13 June 2026 — full recall
Nara Organics recalls its entire Whole Milk Organic Infant Formula line after authorities link the product to the outbreak.
- 5
June 2026 — first lawsuits filed
Marler Clark (The Food Safety Law Firm) files on behalf of an infant hospitalized with botulism that month; Ron Simon & Associates files separately for a three-month-old infant.
- 6
23 July 2026 — federal complaint in Washington
Jin Nam and Jisun Lee file suit against Nara Organics Inc., Target Corp. and unnamed additional defendants in federal court in Washington.
- 7
Present — individual cases proceed, no settlement
No multidistrict litigation, class action or settlement has been established. Each lawsuit is proceeding as its own case, separate from the unrelated ByHeart litigation active the same year.
What to Be Careful About
An infant health scare that made national news, combined with genuine uncertainty about what recourse exists, is exactly the environment scams target. These are the patterns worth watching for here.
"File your Nara Organics claim before the deadline"
There is no settlement, no claims administrator and no deadline connected to Nara Organics, because there is no class action or settlement fund — only individual lawsuits filed by specific families with specific law firms. Anything presenting a countdown, a claim portal, or a filing fee for a 'Nara Organics settlement' is describing something that does not exist.
Confusing this outbreak with the ByHeart case
Because both involve infant botulism and powdered formula in 2026, some outreach and some articles conflate the two — attaching ByHeart's 48-case, 19-state figures to Nara Organics, or vice versa. Before acting on any number you are given, confirm which product, which manufacturer and which court it actually refers to.
Requests for your infant's medical records through unexpected channels
Gathering hospital and pediatric records documenting the diagnosis and its timeline is a real and necessary step in a case like this, which is exactly what makes an unsolicited call or message asking for those records effective. Verify independently who is contacting you, confirm the firm is licensed to practice where you live, and share records only through a channel you initiated yourself.
Common Questions
Is there a Nara Organics settlement I can file a claim with?
No. There is no class action, no settlement fund and no claims administrator for Nara Organics. What exists are individual lawsuits filed by specific families, including a federal complaint filed 23 July 2026 in Washington. If you believe your infant was affected, the relevant next step is a conversation with a lawyer about a lawsuit of your own, not a claim form.
What exactly was recalled?
Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula, recalled in full on 13 June 2026. The product was manufactured in Germany and sold in the United States from July 2025 through June 2026 via Target stores, Target.com and Nara.com.
How many infants were affected?
FDA and CDC investigated four confirmed cases of infant botulism across three states — California, Pennsylvania and Washington — with symptom onset between April and May 2026, all connected to this product. That figure applies specifically to the Nara Organics outbreak and should not be combined with the separate ByHeart case (48 infants, 19 states), which involved a different manufacturer and product.
Is this the same case as the ByHeart formula lawsuit?
No. Nara Organics and ByHeart are two separate, unrelated matters that both involved infant botulism connected to powdered formula in 2026. Different company, different product, different court — ByHeart's cases are consolidated as MDL 3178 in the Southern District of New York, while Nara Organics is facing individual lawsuits, including one in federal court in Washington. Coverage of one sometimes gets attached to the other; the case counts and courts do not match.
My infant showed symptoms after this formula. What should I do?
Infant botulism is a medical emergency, and symptoms such as constipation, a weak cry, poor feeding or reduced muscle tone in a baby who was previously feeding normally warrant immediate medical evaluation. This page is not medical advice. If your infant has already been diagnosed and you are considering legal options, hospital and pediatric records documenting the diagnosis and its timeline are typically what a lawyer will need to assess a potential case.
Who is being sued?
The lawsuits filed so far name Nara Organics Inc. and Target Corp., along with unnamed additional defendants in at least one complaint. Target is named because the product was sold through Target stores and Target.com; Nara Organics also sold the product directly through Nara.com.
Is there a deadline to bring a claim?
There is no settlement deadline, because there is no settlement. Ordinary state law time limits for filing a personal injury lawsuit still apply and vary by state, and claims involving an infant or a minor sometimes follow different rules than claims involving an adult. That timing question is specific to where you live and is worth raising with a lawyer directly rather than assuming a fixed window.
Where was the formula manufactured and sold?
Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula was manufactured in Germany and sold exclusively in the United States, through Target stores, Target.com and Nara.com, between July 2025 and June 2026.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.