Parents in The Woodlands should check their pantries for a toddler snack bar the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says poses a potentially fatal choking hazard.

The FDA's safety advisory, updated Tuesday, Nov. 3, warns consumers not to buy or serve Once Upon a Farm Tractor Wheels Organic Toddler Soft-Baked Bars. The agency said it received several reports of toddlers ages 1.5 to 2.5 suffering complete airway obstruction after eating the product. Some incidents required emergency response and hospital observation, according to the advisory.

Texas is among the states where the bars were distributed, according to the company's recall notice. The FDA advisory lists Costco, Target and Walmart by name as stores that carried the product. All three chains operate locations in The Woodlands area, though no specific local store has been confirmed as having stocked the bars.

The bars form a dry, sticky mass when chewed that standard choking interventions, including back blows and the Heimlich maneuver, may fail to dislodge, according to the FDA.

Once Upon a Farm, based in Berkeley, California, said in an Oct. 30 statement that three consumer complaints prompted the voluntary recall. Consumer Reports reported the company plans to reformulate the product.

The company's recall announcement on the FDA website stated no injuries have been reported to date. The FDA's own advisory, by contrast, said some choking incidents required emergency response and hospital observation.

What is recalled

The recall covers all three flavors of Tractor Wheels Organic Toddler Soft-Baked Bars, all lot codes and all expiration dates up to Aug. 26, 2027:

  • Apple, Sweet Potato & Spinach
  • Strawberry, Pumpkin & Beet
  • Banana, Pumpkin & Cauliflower

Variety packs and online-only sampler packs containing Tractor Wheels are also included. No other Once Upon a Farm products are affected, the company said.

What parents should do

The FDA says consumers should not buy or serve the recalled bars. Parents who have the product at home should return it to the store for a full refund or throw it away. Consumers can also contact the company at [email protected] or call 1-888-983-1606.

Call 911 if a child is choking and first aid measures fail to clear the obstruction.