Health officials continue investigating why lead was found in children’s applesauce snack foods. Some believe that the hazardous substance may have been added deliberately.
Since November, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been investigating cases of children exhibiting lead poisoning after consuming the suspected apple puree products. The organization reported that these currently recalled products had mainly caused poisoning in toddlers and theorized that the cinnamon in these products was the source of the contamination, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The FDA’s most recent report from December 18 details that the FDA and Ecuadorian authorities have been working together to investigate the Austrofoods facility in Ecuador as well as Negasmart, Austrofood’s cinnamon supplier, to determine whether the spice had been used in other products.
Inspection of the facility concluded that the cinnamon samples from Negasmart had registered “extremely high levels of lead contamination,” with contamination appearing to be limited to the previously recalled products.
“The FDA has tested multiple products and, based on the current evidence, there are no further products being added to the recall at this time,” said the FDA in its update. “Additionally, FDA and state partners have tested at least 136 samples of non-cinnamon-containing products and all have been negative for elevated lead levels.”
Jim Jones, Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods for the FDA, believes someone deliberately contaminated these products.
“We’re still in the midst of our investigation. But so far all of the signals we’re getting lead to an intentional act on the part of someone in the supply chain and we’re trying to sort of figure that out,” said Jones, per Politico.
Jones said that the culprit likely believed the impacted products would arrive in areas that could not detect the contamination instead of a nation with a “robust regulatory process.”
The FDA is unsure who allegedly contaminated the products or how; however, they speculate that they likely did so for economic reasons.
“We’re going to chase that data and find whoever was responsible and hold them accountable,” said Jones.
The FDA reported that it could not directly act against Negasmart, as Ecuadorian officials are investigating the contaminated cinnamon.