Infant formula causes botulinum poisoning: How is Ho Chi Minh City investigating this?

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - The Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department has launched an investigation following directives from the Ministry of Health, regarding reports of botulinum poisoning in several infants in the US after consuming a type of infant formula licensed in Vietnam.

On November 26th, a representative from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety informed Dan Tri newspaper that in recent days, the agency has been investigating ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, a type of infant formula that has been warned to pose a risk of botulinum poisoning.

Specifically, upon receiving the directive from the Food Safety Department ( Ministry of Health ), the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department dispatched inspection teams and sent official letters to local authorities in each area to coordinate the review and determine whether the product was still being sold on the market, in order to proceed with recall and issue warnings.

After about a week of investigation, the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department has not found any establishments selling ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula. Currently, e-commerce platforms have also stopped selling this product.

"We are continuing to review and warn people not to use these products," a representative from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety shared.

ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula (Photo: CT).

Previously, on November 19th, the Food Safety Administration announced that it had received notification from the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) regarding a case of botulinum poisoning in infants in the United States related to the use of contaminated ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula.

This product has been licensed and is sold on several e-commerce platforms in Vietnam.

According to information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of November 19th, 31 suspected and confirmed cases of botulinum infection have been reported in dozens of states, requiring hospitalization.

US authorities have advised parents and caregivers to immediately stop using all ByHeart infant formula products, including all batch numbers, all can sizes, and all single-use packets.

On the manufacturer's side, ByHeart Inc (USA) has voluntarily recalled all batches of products on the market to prevent health risks for young children.

To ensure the safety of domestic consumers, the Food Safety Department requests the Departments of Health , Food Safety Departments, and Food Safety and Hygiene Sub-departments of provinces and cities to urgently implement several measures.

First, review the declaration documents (registered declaration or self-declaration) for the ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula product manufactured by ByHeart Inc., USA.

Secondly, work with importing businesses, disclose product information (if any), and require them to immediately notify distributors and consumers about discontinuing the use of the product; implement recalls according to the manufacturer's instructions; report specific details on the quantity imported, sold, and in stock, and propose a handling plan.

In addition, the Food Safety Administration has requested relevant authorities to intensify public awareness campaigns to inform consumers and discourage the use of any batches of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula products. The results of these efforts must be reported to the Administration before November 28th.

The Food Safety Administration affirms that it will continue to coordinate with international organizations and domestic management agencies to update information and ensure the safety of Vietnamese children and consumers.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/sua-cong-thuc-lam-tre-so-sinh-ngo-doc-botulinum-tphcm-kiem-tra-the-nao-20251126113615335.htm