Target Baby Wipes Recall Over Bacteria That Causes Infant Sepsis

On June 6, Target issued a nationwide recall of two varieties of its Up & Up store-brand baby wipes after the FDA confirmed potential contamination with bacteria capable of causing life-threatening infections.

The affected products were sold at every Target location across the country. The FDA’s recall notice states the contamination poses the greatest risk to newborns, infants, and immunocompromised individuals.

If you have Up & Up baby wipes at home, stop using them right now and check the lot numbers below.

What’s in the Wipes — and Why It Matters for Infants

The FDA recall identifies two bacterial contaminants: Burkholderia cepacia complex and Burkholderia gladioli. These aren’t minor skin irritants.

According to the FDA’s recall notice, contaminated products used on skin with even minor lesions can cause local infections in otherwise healthy people. In newborns, infants, and immunocompromised individuals, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause sepsis or pneumonia, both of which can be fatal.

The two recalled product lines are:

• Up & Up Fragrance Free Baby Wipes — manufacturing date codes November 7, 2025, through May 5, 2026; expiration dates May 10, 2028, through November 5, 2028. Available in 20-count (UPC 085239265956), 72-count (UPC 085239265949), 216-count (UPC 085239265963), 800-count (UPC 085239266137), and 1200-count (UPC 085239266090).
• Up & Up Fresh Cucumber Scented Baby Wipes — manufacturing date codes December 29–30, 2025; expiration dates June 29–30, 2028. Available in 72-count (UPC 085239265970), 216-count (UPC 085239265994), and 800-count (UPC 085239265987).

Check the bottom or back of your package for the UPC and date codes. If they match, the wipes go in the trash — not back in the drawer.

Baby wipes are used dozens of times a day on infants who cannot tell you something is wrong. And before Target pulled these products, the company had already received consumer complaints describing product discoloration, skin irritation, eye irritation, and infections.

The recall came after those complaints. File that away.

Target Baby Wipes Recall: What You Can Do

Stop using the product immediately. Do not finish the pack. Do not use “just a few more.”
Check your UPCs and date codes against the list above. The FDA’s full recall notice is available at the agency’s recalls and safety alerts page.

Return the wipes to any Target store for a full refund — no receipt required for recalled products.

Call your pediatrician if you used these wipes on an infant and noticed any skin irritation, eye redness, unusual discharge, or signs of infection. Sepsis in infants moves fast; early symptoms include fever, difficulty breathing, and unusual lethargy. Don’t wait to see if it clears up.

If Target’s Up & Up baby wipes harmed your child, report it to the FDA — or tell us what happened.

Written by: Companies Behaving Badly

The team behind it all.