Parents should throw out every Once Upon a Farm Tractor Wheels bar in the house. The FDA warned on Oct. 30 that the organic toddler soft-baked bars pose a potentially fatal choking hazard, after reports of toddlers between 18 months and 2 1/2 years old whose airways were completely blocked after eating them.
The agency says that when a child chews the bar, it can form a dry, sticky mass that back blows and the Heimlich maneuver may not clear. Some of the children needed emergency responders and were kept in the hospital for observation. The FDA's notice does not say how many reports it received, beyond "several," and it does not report any deaths.
Which bars are recalled
The recall covers every Tractor Wheels bar: all flavors, all package sizes and every lot code and expiration date, so there is no code to check. Once Upon a Farm, a Berkeley, California, company, lists three flavors:
- Apple, Sweet Potato & Spinach
- Strawberry, Pumpkin & Beet
- Banana, Pumpkin & Cauliflower
The company says no other Once Upon a Farm products are affected.
The FDA says the bars were sold nationwide online and in stores, including Costco, Target and Walmart, and possibly through Amazon and other third-party sellers. The company's distribution list names 45 states plus Puerto Rico. Alaska, New Mexico, North Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming and Washington, D.C., are not on it, but online orders could have reached homes there too.
What to do if you have them
Don't serve the bars; throw them away. The FDA has also told stores not to sell them.
To get your money back, the company says you can return the bars to the store where you bought them for a full refund, even if you already threw them out, as long as you have proof of purchase. Website buyers and anyone with questions can email [email protected]. The company's recall page says refunds can take up to five business days.
If a child is choking and first aid does not clear the airway, call 911. The agency says anyone with symptoms should contact a health care provider, and problems can be reported to the FDA through its consumer assistance page.
What the company says
Once Upon a Farm, which is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, called the move a voluntary recall and said it acted after three consumer complaints about choking. It is also reformulating the bars. The FDA says it told the company about the adverse event reports and the company agreed to recall the product.
"We know that parents place their trust in us every time they buy one of our products," the company said in its statement. "We fell short of that."
The agency plans to update its advisory as it learns more.
