Baby wipes contaminated with dangerous bacteria raise recall to highest level

2026-07-01T09:41:46.539Z

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised the recall alert for baby wipes sold at Target stores to Class I, after detecting contamination with Burkholderia cepacia and Burkholderia gladioli bacteria, which can cause serious and potentially fatal infections, especially in infants and immunocompromised individuals. The recall covers approximately 6.4 million packages of wipes…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised the recall alert for millions of packages of baby wipes sold at Target stores to Class I, the highest risk level, after discovering contamination with bacteria that can cause serious and potentially fatal infections, especially in infants, newborns, and immunocompromised individuals.

The agency confirmed that the contaminated products contain Burkholderia cepacia, which causes pneumonia, and Burkholderia gladioli, which causes poisoning, warning that using them could lead to severe health complications and, in some cases, death.

6.8 million packages in the recall

The recall includes approximately 6.4 million packages of Up & Up fragrance-free wipes, plus 440,600 packages of cucumber-scented wipes, in various sizes, all packaged in plastic bags.

Target had previously announced a voluntary recall after receiving consumer complaints about discoloration of the wipes and health symptoms suspected to be linked to their use. These products were sold at all Target stores in the United States and on its website, with expiration dates ranging from May to November 2028.

Infants and immunocompromised individuals most at risk

The FDA explained that Burkholderia bacteria can cause a wide range of infections, from local infections to serious conditions such as sepsis and pneumonia, especially in infants, newborns, and immunocompromised patients.

In healthy individuals, complications are likely to be limited to localized skin infections if there are cuts or scrapes. However, the agency noted that these bacteria are resistant to several antibiotics, making treatment more difficult.

Complaints and investigation updates

The agency indicated that the manufacturer Sapro Temizlik Ürünleri and Target received a number of consumer complaints, including discoloration of wipes, skin and eye irritation, as well as cases of infection still under investigation.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration stressed the need to immediately stop using all recalled products and return them to Target for a full refund, emphasizing that the Class I recall designation reflects 'a reasonable probability that use of, or exposure to, the product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.'