Topline
Cinnamon applesauce pouches marketed to kids and made by three separate brands have been recalled due to possibly elevated lead levels — and experts warn lead poisoning in children can lead to developmental delays, hypertension and brain and nervous system damage.
Key Facts
The Food and Drug Administration issued recalls on November 3 for Schnucks cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches sold in Schnucks and Eatwell Market grocery stores, and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches sold in Weis grocery stores due to potential lead contamination.
This follows the FDA’s late October safety alert of WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches, leading to the brand’s voluntary recall after the pouches were found to have “extremely high” concentrations of lead, and an ongoing investigation into four children with reportedly high blood lead levels, indicating potentially acute lead toxicity.
All WanaBana pouches, which are sold by multiple retailers like Amazon, Dollar Tree and Sam’s Club, are affected regardless of expiration date.
As of November 1, seven reports of adverse events have been reported in at least five states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri and North Carolina, according to the FDA’s recall notice.
Schnucks announced its supplier, Purcell International, notified the company of elevated lead levels found in the cinnamon used by its manufacturer, Austrofood SAS.
The FDA warns consumers shouldn’t eat, serve or sell any of these products and discard them immediately; young children who may have eaten these pouches should get a blood test done by a medical provider.
Big Number
2 million. That’s how many people died as a result of lead exposure globally in 2019, according to the World Health Organization.
Key Background
Lead toxicity can affect anyone, but young children are the most susceptible to severe effects because they absorb four to five times as much ingested lead as adults, according to WHO. Although lead was banned from use in commercial paint in 1978, kids between the ages of one and three who live in homes built before 1978 are the most at risk, Yale Medicine reports. Lead is also found in food, jewelry, toys, water, soil, cosmetics, air and medicine. No safe blood lead level in children has been identified, the CDC reports. Children with elevated lead levels are typically asymptomatic, but as levels rise, they may complain of symptoms like loss of appetite, headache or constipation. Other signs include clumsiness, agitation, drowsiness, weight loss, hearing and balance issues, brain and nervous system damage, developmental delay and decreased activity. Lead exposure also puts children at a greater risk for developing hypertension, according to a 2018 study published in Environmental International. In adults, lead poisoning can lead to high blood pressure, heart problems and kidney damage. In pregnant women, it can cause stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth or low birth weight.
Tangent
Dino Chicken Nuggets, another popular children’s food product, has also faced recent recalls after consumers reported finding small metals in the patties. The Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a recall for almost 30,000 pounds of Tyson’s “fully cooked fun nuggets breaded shaped chicken patties,” on November 4. There has been one report of minor oral injury, according to the FSIS. The affected products are 29-ounce bags with a September 4 expiration date, and lot codes 2483BRV0207, 2483BRV0208, 2483BRV0209 and 2483BRV0210. These bags were sold in Alabama, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Tyson urges consumers who’ve bought affected items to cut the expiration date and Universal Product Code—or barcode number—and either call or text 1-855-382-3101.
Investigation of Elevated Lead Levels: Applesauce Pouches (November 2023) (Food and Drug Administration)
Tyson Foods Inc. Recalls Chicken Patty Product Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination (Food Safety and Inspection Service)
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