Tejal Somvanshi
The FDA has issued an urgent safety advisory for a popular toddler snack sold at Target, Walmart, and Costco. If your child eats Once Upon a Farm “Tractor Wheels Organic Toddler Soft-Baked Bars,” stop serving them immediately and check your pantry today.
The Once Upon a Farm Tractor Wheels recall covers all flavors, all package sizes, and every lot code and expiration date of the product — no specific lot is safer than another. The FDA received reports of several toddlers aged 1.5 to 2.5 years suffering complete airway obstruction and being unable to breathe. The bars were sold at Costco, Target, and Walmart, and may also be available through Amazon.com and other third-party vendors. The recall applies to Tractor Wheels varieties only — Once Upon a Farm pouch purees and all other brand products are not affected.
Caregivers must immediately inspect their pantries and discard all Once Upon a Farm Tractor Wheels bars regardless of expiration date or flavor. The FDA warns that back blows and the Heimlich maneuver may fail to dislodge the obstruction caused by this product’s texture, posing a potentially life-threatening suffocation risk for toddlers. If a child is choking and standard first-aid measures are not working, call 911 immediately.
What makes this advisory different from a standard foreign-object choking incident is how the product behaves in the mouth. The FDA warns the bars form a dry, sticky mass when chewed that may resist physical dislodgment techniques. Back blows and abdominal thrusts — the two standard interventions taught in child CPR courses — may not clear the obstruction in the way they would for a typical food-choking incident. This is a mechanical airway hazard.
The product is sold under the Once Upon a Farm brand, co-founded by actress Jennifer Garner. The company’s CEO said the brand fell short and that the bars are being reformulated. The manufacturer instructs consumers to return the product to the original place of purchase for a full refund, or contact the company’s customer care team directly for assistance with the return.
For parents tracking the FDA consumer product recall database or managing pediatric choking prevention protocols, the full advisory is at fda.gov. To report a related incident, contact the FDA through its MedWatch safety reporting program or call 1-888-INFO-FDA.
Discard every pack of Once Upon a Farm Tractor Wheels bars in your home today. If your child has experienced any airway distress after eating this product and you have not yet sought medical attention, contact your pediatrician or call 911 immediately.
