Lawsuit Targets Nara Organics Over Infant Botulism Outbreak

The complaint, filed June 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, asserts that Nara Organics prioritized its premium marketing claims over safety. The company touted its product as the first USDA-certified organic whole-milk infant formula, despite federal regulators documenting the specific dangers of whole milk powder as a vehicle for Clostridium botulinum years prior. By the spring of 2026, the risk was well-established, following a separate November 2025 outbreak linked to ByHeart formula that sickened nearly 50 infants.

According to the suit, the infant identified as W.G. began showing signs of paralysis in May 2026, including loss of head control and difficulty swallowing. After being treated with the antitoxin BabyBIG at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the child continues to undergo physical therapy for motor skill delays. Bill Marler, managing partner of Marler Clark, argues that the tragedy was entirely preventable. He is currently pushing for the passage of the Infant Formula Safety Modernization Act, which would mandate rigorous testing for botulinum spores—a requirement currently absent from federal infant-formula regulations.