The Food and Drug Administration has announced that the majority of those affected by applesauce lead poisonings were toddlers, according to the latest update on the agency’s probe into the rash of incidents.
The agency said that as of Wednesday, it had received 52 reports of “adverse events” that were “potentially linked” to recalled applesauce products. “To date, confirmed complainants are less than 1 to 4 years of age,” the November 22 update from the FDA reads.
In October, Florida-based snack company WanaBana recalled units of its apple-cinnamon fruit puree pouches after taking note of “elevated” levels of lead in the product, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. After becoming apprised of the situation, the FDA launched an investigation into the products and their manufacturers, specifically WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis.
One family told the FDA that their son’s lead levels had risen to 22.5 micrograms per deciliter, far above the level at which medical intervention is recommended, as they searched for months to determine the cause, reported CBS News Texas. The parents claimed the child regularly consumed WanaBana’s apple cinnamon fruit puree — eating four to six pouches a day. He has since begun treatment for lead poisoning.
“His levels are trending down, but we are extremely concerned about future developmental delays and behavioral issues resulting from this exposure,” said the child’s family, according to CBS.
The FDA has identified a certain ingredient in the products manufactured in Ecuador that they think could be the source of the lead.
“FDA’s leading hypothesis is that cinnamon used in these recalled pouches is the likely source of contamination for these products; however, the FDA has not yet been able to collect and test samples of the cinnamon used in the recalled products,” the agency said in its update. “The FDA is continuing to work with Ecuadorian authorities to investigate the source of the cinnamon.”
While no other products appeared to be affected, the FDA will be screening imported cinnamon from other nations for lead contamination out of an abundance of caution.
The FDA also received reports that retailers were slow to respond to the recall announcements, reported CBS. One family reported that the products were still being sold at a Dollar Tree store.
“When I told the manager, they removed them from shelves but said there had been no message from corporate,” the family told the FDA, per CBS. A Dollar Tree spokesperson urged customers to return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.
“Dollar Tree removed WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Purée pouches from store shelves and locked its registers to prevent sale due to a voluntary recall initiated by WanaBana USA. We are committed to the safety and integrity of the products we sell,” said the spokesperson, per CBS.