The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a voluntary recall of a children’s snack that could cause choking episodes when it contacts saliva in the mouth. Once Upon A Farm, a company based in Berkeley, California, said its Tractor Wheels Organic Toddler Soft-Baked Bars, distributed and sold in Puerto Rico, could pose a choking risk to children between one year and two and a half years old, because the bar can turn into a dense, sticky mass when it meets saliva while being chewed.
The products were distributed in the United States and Puerto Rico through retail chains such as Costco and Walmart and through online stores. The recall covers all products in the line. The company said the recall came after the FDA received three complaints of choking incidents, though no deaths or adverse effects were reported.
The federal agency noted that standard procedures for resolving choking events, such as the Heimlich maneuver, might not be effective at removing a stuck mass, and some complaints indicated emergency help and hospital stays for observation were required. Once Upon A Farm said it is working with the FDA to remove affected products and reformulate the bars, and warned consumers who bought them not to open or eat them.
Affected products can be returned to the store of purchase, and questions can be sent to care@uponafarm.com or by calling 1-888-983-1606.