Once Upon a Farm soft-baked bars voluntarily recalled due to potential choking hazard
Organic baby food company Once Upon a Farm has voluntarily recalled all flavors of its Tractor Wheels Organic soft-baked bars due to a potential choking hazard.
The Food and Drug Administration warned in an announcement Friday that anyone with recalled bars should not eat or serve them to toddlers and children and should throw them away. The agency said it received multiple reports of toddlers between the ages of 1 and 2 choking and suffering "complete airway obstruction with the inability to breathe" after eating Tractor Wheels bars.
"When chewed, the product reportedly forms a dry, sticky mass that standard choking interventions -- including back blows and the Heimlich maneuver -- may fail to dislodge," the FDA stated. "Some reported choking incidents have required emergency response intervention and hospital observation."
Once Upon a Farm said in a statement on its website that the company received three such reports and is working with the FDA to "make sure affected products are removed and families have the information they need."
"As part of this process and a larger evaluation of Tractor Wheels products, we are reformulating these family favorites to ensure they adhere to the highest standards," Once Upon a Farm co-founder and CEO John Foraker said in a statement.
The company said all lot codes, expiration dates, and flavors of the soft-baked bars are impacted by the recall, including Apple, Sweet Potato, & Spinach Tractor Wheels bars; Strawberry, Pumpkin, & Beet Tractor Wheels bars; and Banana, Pumpkin & Cauliflower Tractor Wheels bars.
The bars were distributed nationwide "via the internet and to distribution centers and retail stores" across 45 states and Puerto Rico, the company said. According to the FDA, the affected products were sold at retailers including Costco, Target, and Walmart, and may have been sold through Amazon and "other third-party vendors."
A full list of states and territories impacted by the recall can be found on the Once Upon a Farm recall page. Images of the recalled products can be found on the FDA website.
The FDA has warned consumers not to purchase or serve any flavor or variety of Tractor Wheels bars.
In a statement on its website, Once Upon a Farm said, "We know that parents place their trust in us every time they buy one of our products. We fell short of that, and that is why we are taking these aggressive actions."
Anyone with recalled bars can request a refund with a receipt from their place of purchase or reach out to Once Upon a Farm's customer care team via email at care@uponafarm.com.
ABC News has reached out to Once Upon a Farm for additional comment.
