Target has recalled several Up & Up baby wipes sold nationwide after the Food and Drug Administration said the products may be contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia complex and Burkholderia gladioli. The recall covers fragrance-free wipes and fresh cucumber scented wipes, and customers were told to stop using them immediately.
The FDA said use of wipes contaminated with those bacteria may cause serious and life-threatening infections. The products are used mainly on newborns, infants and young children, and the agency said healthy people using them on skin with minor lesions are more likely to develop local infections. In people with weakened immune systems, as well as newborns and young children, the infection can spread into the bloodstream and lead to sepsis or pneumonia.
Target said the recall applies to Up & Up Fragrance Free Baby Wipes with manufacturing date codes from November 07, 2025 to May 5, 2026, and expiration dates between May 10, 2028 and November 5, 2028. It also covers Up & Up Fresh Cucumber Scented Baby Wipes with manufacturing codes from December 29, 2025 to December 30, 2025 and expiration dates between June 29, 2028 and June 30, 2028.
The company said it received a number of consumer complaints and adverse event reports tied to the wipes, including discoloration, skin irritation, eye irritation and infections. Those reports give the recall a more complicated edge: the warning is about contamination risk, but the company has not pointed to a confirmed outbreak.
Customers who bought the affected wipes are being told to return them to any Target store for a full refund. The recall leaves one practical question open for shoppers: how many packages are in circulation beyond the batches already identified, and whether more lots will be added if the investigation expands.
