ByHeart Formula Discontinued After Infant Botulism Outbreak, But Founders Set to Acquire Different Formula Business
Perrigo has announced an agreement to sell its infant formula business to MeridianMade, a new company founded by the co-founders of ByHeart, whose infant formula products sickened 48 infants with botulism across 17 states in 2025–2026.
In the ByHeart outbreak, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA’s) root cause investigations did identify Clostridium botulinum in an organic powdered milk ingredient supplied by Organic West Milk and dried by Dairy Farmers of America (which were also discovered to be the same suppliers to Nara Organics in a later outbreak), but no additional factors arose that could explain the cause of contamination.
ByHeart discontinued its infant formula products following the outbreak. In July 2026, co-founders Ron Belldegrun and Mia Funt formed MeridianMade, an infant-focused contract manufacturing and nutrition company. The company announced plans in October to acquire Perrigo's infant formula business for up to $175 million, expanding its domestic manufacturing capabilities.
U.S. Representative Raises Concerns About Formula Safety, Market Consolidation
The acquisition has raised concerns from U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) about unresolved questions surrounding the outbreak and consolidation in the U.S. infant formula market.
"ByHeart was at the center of one of the most serious infant formula safety issues in recent memory," Rep. DeLauro said. "Families still do not know how, when, or exactly where their children's formula became contaminated," she said.
DeLauro also expressed concern about further consolidation in the U.S. infant formula market, referencing the nationwide formula shortage in 2022.
"While I am grateful that infant formula giants Abbott and Mead Johnson are not acquiring Perrigo's formula business, I still have serious questions about this acquisition," Rep. DeLauro said. "Before they continue to expand, parents deserve answers."
She emphasized that ByHeart's discontinuation of its infant formula products did not eliminate the need to determine the source of the contamination and establish measures to prevent future outbreaks.
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