Pouched apple cinnamon fruit purees and applesauces by WanaBana, Schnucks and Weis, recall due to lead contamination - Fall 2023

[ifindedout]

Lead contamination in applesauce pouches may have been intentional, FDA says

An FDA spokesperson said that one of the agency’s theories for the WanaBana cinnamon applesauce contamination was “economically motivated adulteration.”

www.nbcnews.com

The lead contamination in recalled cinnamon applesauce pouches that potentially poisoned at least 65 children may have been intentional, the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday.

The FDA has been investigating the lead contamination in the cinnamon-flavored applesauce products from Florida-based food manufacturer WanaBana since October.

The agency has homed in on the cinnamon specifically as the source of the lead.

[...]

Politico first reported the contamination theory.

Investigation of Elevated Lead Levels: Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches

Do not eat, sell, or serve multiple brands of recalled apple cinnamon fruit pouches. FDA’s investigation is ongoing.

www.fda.gov

Investigation of Elevated Lead Levels: Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches (November 2023)​

Do not eat, sell, or serve multiple brands of recalled apple cinnamon fruit pouches. FDA’s investigation is ongoing.

Product​

Recalled cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products. Information on lot codes and UPCs can be found in the firm's recall announcement.

• Recalled WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches – including three packs
• Recalled Schnucks-brand cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches and variety pack
• Recalled Weis-brand cinnamon applesauce pouches

Symptoms of Lead Toxicity​

Lead is toxic to humans and can affect people of any age or health status. Protecting children from exposure to lead is particularly important because they are more susceptible to lead toxicity. Most children have no obvious immediate symptoms. Parents and caretakers should consult a healthcare provider if you suspect a child may have been exposed to lead. Short term exposure to lead could result in the following symptoms: headache; abdominal pain/colic; vomiting; anemia. Longer term exposure could result in the following additional symptoms: irritability; lethargy; fatigue; muscle aches or muscle prickling/burning; constipation; difficulty concentrating/muscular weakness; tremor; weight loss.

Stores Affected​

• WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches are sold nationally and are available through multiple retailers including Amazon, Dollar Tree, and other online outlets.
  
  • FDA is aware that, as of December 7, recalled WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Puree product (including recalled three packs) was still on the shelves at several Dollar Tree stores in multiple states. This product should not be available for sale and consumers should not purchase this product.
• Schnucks-brand cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches and variety pack are sold at Schnucks and Eatwell Markets grocery stores.
• Weis-brand cinnamon applesauce pouches are sold at Weis grocery stores.

Status​

Ongoing; updates to this advisory will be provided as they become available.

Recommendation​

• Consumers should not eat, sell, or serve recalled WanaBana, Schnucks, or Weis-brand apple cinnamon pouches and should discard them.
• These products have a long shelf life. Consumers should check their homes and discard these products.
• To properly discard the product, consumers and retailers should carefully open the pouch and empty the content into a trash can before discarding the packaging to prevent others from salvaging recalled product from the trash. Clean up any spills after discarding the product then wash your hands.
• Most children have no obvious immediate symptoms of lead exposure. If there’s suspicion that a child may have been exposed to lead, parents should talk to their child’s healthcare provider about getting a blood test.
• Contact your healthcare provider if you think you may have symptoms of lead toxicity after eating recalled fruit pouches.
• If you or your child have symptoms or exposure to this product, you can also file a complaint or adverse event report (illness or serious allergic reaction).

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Current Update​

December 12, 2023

FDA is conducting an onsite inspection at the Austrofoods facility located in Ecuador. Cinnamon samples collected from the lots used in recalled products will undergo laboratory analysis. FDA will update this advisory to share the sample results once the analysis is complete.

To date, the FDA has worked with Ecuadorian authorities to gather information about Negasmart, the supplier of cinnamon to Austrofoods, including whether the cinnamon in the recalled products was used in other products exported to the United States. Working together with Ecuadorian authorities, the FDA has confirmed that, of Negasmart’s direct customers, only Austrofoods ships product to the US. In addition, the FDA has confirmed that Negasmart does not directly export products to the US.

As of December 11, 2023, FDA has received 65 reports of adverse events potentially linked to recalled product. To date, confirmed complainants, or people for whom an adverse event was submitted, are under 6 years of age.


CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health is conducting case finding efforts in collaboration with state and local health departments. CDC’s case definition for state partners includes a blood lead level of 3.5 µg/dL or higher measured within 3 months after consuming a recalled WanaBana, Schnucks, or Weis brand fruit puree product after November 2022. As of December 8, CDC has received reports of 46 confirmed cases, 68 probable cases, and 11 suspected cases for a total of 125 cases from 22 different states through their reporting structure. For more information, please visit CDC’s page to review their case reporting methodology and findings.

CDC and FDA have different data sources, so the counts reported by each agency will not directly correspond. In addition, some people who were affected by the contaminated product might be reflected in both the numbers reported by the FDA and the numbers reported by CDC, so the numbers should not be added together.

FDA’s investigation is ongoing to determine the point of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses. FDA will update the advisory as information becomes available.

 

[JennieM]

It says “May have been intentional”!