The letter to industry was issued in response to the botulism outbreaks linked to Nara Organics and ByHeart formulas, which identified Clostridia in the whole milk powder ingredient supply chain, as well as the global formula recall due to cereulide-contaminated arachidonic acid oil.
The 102nd meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) took place in June 2026 in Nanjing, China. Key outcomes included the establishment of new, temporary acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) for two substances.
Four infants in three states have been hospitalized with botulism after consuming Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula. California public health officials have detected Clostridium botulinum in an open can of Nara Organics formula collected from the home of an outbreak patient.
Sprinkles may seem like a minor decorative detail on a birthday cake or holiday cookie, but they sit at the intersection of several fast-moving regulatory concerns: the phaseout of certain FD&C dyes, the clean label movement, allergen management, and GMO transparency.
The platform was developed to address limitations of earlier DNA barcoding methods by using species-targeted genomic approaches, authenticated reference materials, and analytical systems designed specifically for commercial botanical products.
For a time, ByHeart Nutrition and Nara Organics both used Organic West milk dried by Dairy Farmers of America in their infant formula products (confirmed by Food Fix). Both brands have been implicated in botulism outbreaks that occurred within months of each other.
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the sale of hemp-derived products containing no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC, allowing a “legal” edibles and beverage market to emerge. The 2025 government shutdown reconciliation bill closed this “loophole,” effective in November.
The action aligns with the wishes of FDA and U.S. Health Secretary RFK Jr. for industry to voluntarily phase out synthetic, petroleum-based dyes from the nation’s food supply.
This episode of Food Safety Five discusses new research linking sorbitol to fatty liver disease, studies suggesting potential health risks associated with both “natural” and artificial color additives, and a major collection of papers examining the health impacts, policy, and marketing practices behind ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
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