F.D.A. Warns of Tractor Wheels Snack Bar Linked to Choking Hazard

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned parents not to buy a soft-baked snack bar after receiving reports that it had completely blocked toddlers’ airways.The bars, sold as Tractor Wheels by Once Upon a Farm, were linked to episodes in which toddlers ages 18 to 30 months experienced what the agency called “the inability to breathe.”The F.D.A.did not specify how many reports it had received.“When chewed, the product reportedly forms a dry, sticky mass that standard choking interventions — including back blows and the Heimlich maneuver — may fail to dislodge,” the F.D.A.

said in an advisory.The snack bars, which are made with whole grain oats and sweetened with fruits and vegetables, are sold in stores across the United States, including Costco, Target and Walmart, according to the F.D.A.Once Upon a Farm said it had received three consumer reports of possible choking hazards and had voluntarily recalled the bars.It was not immediately clear when the voluntarily recall began.“As part of this process and a larger evaluation of Tractor Wheels products, we are reformulating these family favorites to ensure they adhere to the highest standards,” the company said in a statement.The F.D.A.

advised parents who have the bars to throw them away....