Several more children sickened by fruit pouches tainted with lead, FDA says

Additional cases of children falling ill after consuming apple puree pouches contaminated with lead have been reported, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA recently disclosed that it has received 52 reports of elevated lead levels in children who had consumed these products, a significant increase from the 34 cases reported just last week. These incidents have occurred across 22 different states and have affected children aged 1 to 4 years old, as outlined in the FDA’s latest online update regarding the ongoing investigation.

The contaminated pouches were distributed under three different brands: WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree, Schnucks, and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches. These products were available at national grocery chains, including Dollar Tree, as well as online retailers such as Amazon.

The FDA has stressed the urgency of removing these recalled products from store shelves, and in its official statement, it emphatically stated, “This product should not be available for sale, and consumers should not purchase or consume this product.” The agency further advised parents to dispose of the pouches by emptying their contents into the trash and discarding the packaging.

The FDA is actively collaborating with Dollar Tree to ensure the swift removal of these contaminated items from stores in several states. The investigation into the source of the lead contamination is ongoing, with the FDA working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Previously, the agency had pointed to cinnamon imported from a manufacturer in Ecuador as the likely source of the lead contamination.

It is essential to note that lead exposure can have severe consequences, leading to significant learning and behavioral problems. Heavy metals like lead can find their way into food products through various means, including soil, air, water, or industrial processes, as outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics. While there is no safe level of lead exposure, the CDC uses a threshold of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter to identify children with higher-than-average lead levels. In the reported cases, affected children had blood lead levels ranging from 4 to 29 micrograms per deciliter.

This critical health issue continues to be closely monitored by the FDA, and further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Lead-contaminated apple pouches

More about Lead-contaminated apple pouches

• FDA’s Official Update on Lead-Contaminated Apple Pouches
• CDC Guidelines on Lead Exposure
• American Academy of Pediatrics on Heavy Metals in Food