The Tractor Wheels recall is now total: Once Upon a Farm has recalled every Tractor Wheels Organic Toddler Soft-Baked Bar on the market after reports that toddlers choked on the snack. The voluntary recall, announced on October 30, 2026, covers all three flavors, every lot code, every size, and every expiration date up to August 26, 2027. The United States Food and Drug Administration advised consumers on November 3, 2026 not to buy or serve the bars. The agency said it had received several reports of children ages 1.5 to 2.5 years suffering complete airway obstruction and an inability to breathe after eating the product.
No deaths have been reported. Parents who have the bars at home should return them for a refund or throw them away right away.
Table of Contents
Quick Facts
| Detail | What We Know |
|---|---|
| Product recalled | Tractor Wheels Organic Toddler Soft-Baked Bars, all flavors, all sizes, all lot codes, all expiration dates up to August 26, 2027 |
| Company | Once Upon a Farm, based in Berkeley, California |
| Recall announced | October 30, 2026 |
| FDA advisory | November 3, 2026, do not buy or serve the bars |
| Flavors | Apple, Sweet Potato and Spinach; Strawberry, Pumpkin and Beet; Banana, Pumpkin and Cauliflower |
| Where sold | Nationwide online and in stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico, including Costco, Target, and Walmart |
| Reports to the FDA | Several reports of toddlers ages 1.5 to 2.5 years with complete airway obstruction; three consumer complaints prompted the recall |
| Deaths reported | None |
| What to do | Return the bars to the place of purchase for a refund or throw them away immediately |
What Was Recalled
The recall covers the full Tractor Wheels line, with no exceptions. Every flavor is included, every package size is included, and every lot code is included. The recall also covers every expiration date up to August 26, 2027, which means parents cannot check a date on the box and decide that their bars are safe. If the box says Tractor Wheels Organic Toddler Soft-Baked Bars, it is part of the recall, and it should not be served to a child.
The three flavors in the recall are Apple, Sweet Potato and Spinach; Strawberry, Pumpkin and Beet; and Banana, Pumpkin and Cauliflower. These bars were marketed as a soft baked snack for toddlers, a stage when many children are learning to feed themselves and trying new textures.
The bars were sold nationwide online and in stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico. Major retailers that carried them include Costco, Target, and Walmart. That wide reach means the bars may be sitting in kitchen cupboards, lunch bags, diaper bags, and car seats across the country right now. No other Once Upon a Farm product is part of this recall. The company has said the action applies only to the Tractor Wheels bars.
Tractor Wheels Recall: Why the Bars Pose a Choking Risk
The danger reported with these bars is not the usual choking worry that comes with hard or round foods. According to the reports received by the FDA, the bars can form a dry, sticky mass when a toddler chews them. That mass can then block the airway completely, leaving the child unable to breathe. Several reports described exactly that outcome in children between the ages of 1.5 and 2.5 years.
What makes the reports especially serious is that standard choking interventions may fail to clear the blockage. Back blows and the Heimlich maneuver are the first steps most parents and caregivers are taught, and in these reported incidents they did not always work. The sticky mass can stay lodged in place even when those methods are used correctly, which leaves very little time to act and turns a snack into a medical emergency in seconds.
Some of the reported incidents required emergency response intervention and hospital observation. Toddlers in this age group are still developing their chewing and swallowing skills, and they may not yet have the control to manage a food that changes texture in the mouth.
What the FDA and the Company Have Said
The FDA advised consumers on November 3, 2026 not to buy or serve the bars. The warning came four days after the company announced its voluntary recall on October 30, 2026.
Three consumer complaints reported to the FDA prompted the recall. The agency also said it had received several reports of toddlers suffering complete airway obstruction after eating the product. What is known is that the complaints were serious enough, and consistent enough in describing the same kind of blockage, for the company to pull every bar from the market rather than limit the recall to one flavor or one batch.
Once Upon a Farm has said it will reformulate the product. That means the company plans to change how the bars are made before they return to shelves.
On a conference call on November 2, chief executive John Foraker said the company is working to understand how the product could become a choking hazard. As of November 2, no root cause had been identified. The lack of a known cause is one reason the recall is so broad. When a company cannot point to a single bad batch, the safe move is to remove everything.
What Parents Should Do Now
The first step is simple and it should not wait. Check your cupboards, pantry, diaper bag, car, and anywhere else snacks are stored for Tractor Wheels Organic Toddler Soft-Baked Bars. If you find any, do not serve them to your child, and do not pass them on to another family. The FDA advises returning the recalled bars to the place of purchase for a refund or throwing them away immediately.
If your child has already eaten the bars, there is no need to panic, but it is worth staying alert. Watch for any sign of breathing trouble, coughing that will not stop, or distress during or after eating. If a child is choking and cannot breathe, call emergency services right away and follow the guidance of the dispatcher while help is on the way. This article is general information only, and parents should talk to their own doctor or pediatrician with any concern about a child who ate the bars.
It is also worth telling anyone else who looks after your child about the recall. Grandparents, babysitters, daycare providers, and relatives may have bought the bars on their own, and they may not have seen the news.
How the Recall Reached So Many Homes
The scale of this recall is a direct result of how widely the bars were sold. A snack sold online and in stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico reaches millions of families, and a product carried by Costco, Target, and Walmart sits in the weekly shopping routine of a huge number of parents.
Once Upon a Farm built its name on food for babies and toddlers, and parents often choose the brand because they want simple ingredients and a product made with young children in mind. The Tractor Wheels bars fit that image, with fruit and vegetable flavors and a soft baked texture that sounded gentle.
Recalls of toddler food also spread quickly through parent groups, daycare chats, and social media, which can help and can confuse at the same time. The reliable facts are the ones in the FDA advisory and the company recall notice: all flavors, all lot codes, all expiration dates up to August 26, 2027, and no deaths reported.
What Happens Next
The company has said it will reformulate the product, which means the Tractor Wheels bars are not expected to return in their current form. Reformulation takes time, because the company first has to find the cause, then change the recipe or the process, and then test the new version to make sure the problem does not come back.
The investigation into the cause is still open. As of November 2, John Foraker said no root cause had been identified, and the company is still working to understand how the product could become a choking hazard. Until that work is finished, there is no safe way to separate good bars from bad ones, which is why the recall covers everything.
The FDA will continue to monitor the situation, and parents should watch for updates from the agency and the company. In the meantime, the advice stays the same: do not buy the bars, do not serve them, return them for a refund or throw them away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Once Upon a Farm bars are recalled?
All Tractor Wheels Organic Toddler Soft-Baked Bars are recalled. That includes all three flavors, all package sizes, all lot codes, and all expiration dates up to August 26, 2027. No other Once Upon a Farm product is part of the recall.
What are the three flavors in the recall?
The flavors are Apple, Sweet Potato and Spinach; Strawberry, Pumpkin and Beet; and Banana, Pumpkin and Cauliflower. All three are included, so parents should not keep one flavor while throwing away another.
Why are the bars considered dangerous?
The FDA received several reports of toddlers ages 1.5 to 2.5 years suffering complete airway obstruction after eating the bars. The chewed product reportedly forms a dry, sticky mass that back blows and the Heimlich maneuver may fail to dislodge. Some incidents required emergency response intervention and hospital observation. No deaths have been reported.
What should I do with bars I already bought?
Do not serve them to your child. Return them to the place of purchase for a refund or throw them away immediately. If you have any concern about a child who ate the bars, talk to your own doctor or pediatrician.
Sources
- FDA advisory on the recalled bars
- ConsumerAffairs report on the recall
- FoodNavigator report on the recall
Parents who follow child safety news may also want to read about other recent cases we have covered, including the report on a Wisconsin infant who died from measles in the first such death since 1990 and the story of Kylie Arellano, found safe in Oregon after 17 months missing. Both stories, like this recall, show why official warnings deserve quick attention from families.
Final Thoughts
The Tractor Wheels recall is a reminder that even a snack made for toddlers, sold by a trusted brand, and stocked in the biggest stores in the country can carry a risk no one saw coming.
The company has acted by pulling every bar, and the FDA has acted by telling parents clearly not to buy or serve them. What remains is the simple part, and it belongs to parents: check the cupboard, throw the bars away or return them, and tell the people who care for your child. No deaths have been reported, and keeping it that way starts with making sure no more bars reach a toddler, so do not serve these bars.
