The Food and Drug Administration issued a recall for three fruit puree products after their investigation found their cinnamon flavors had extremely high lead levels.
According to the FDA’s update on Monday, Dec. 18, WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis’ cinnamon apple or apple cinnamon sauce or puree, they were contained “5110 parts per million (ppm) and 2270 ppm” of lead because of the cinnamon. Each company’s apple cinnamon puree pouches were manufactured and distributed by a third-party distribution company in Ecuador, Negocios Asociados Mayoristas S.A., which operated as Negasmart.
So far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and FDA have reported 67 confirmed cases of children under six years old with adverse effects from the puree, 122 probable and 16 suspected cases, bringing the total to 205 cases.
The CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health collaborated with state and local health departments to find potential cases of those with a blood level of “3.5 µg/dL or higher measured within three months after consuming a recalled WanaBana, Schnucks, or Weis brand fruit puree product after November 2022.”
Lead exposure can negatively impact anyone of any age. However, children are more susceptible to lead toxicity, and parents who suspect their child was exposed to lead should consult a healthcare provider.
Symptoms of short-term exposure include “headaches, abdominal pain/colic, vomiting, and anemia.
Long-term exposure results in “irritability, lethargy, fatigue, muscle aches or muscle prickling/burning, constipation, difficulty concentrating/muscular weakness, tremor and weight loss.
Numerous retailers like Amazon, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar/Dollar Tree and other online outlets sell WanaBana apple cinnamon puree pouches. Some of these stores still have the pouches shelved.
Schnucks and Eatwell Market grocery stores sell Schnucks’ cinnamon apple-flavored applesauce pouches.
Weis grocery stores sell cinnamon applesauce pouches.
The federal agency became aware of the lead problem by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) after four children reportedly had elevated blood lead levels.
An investigation pinpointed the WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree as the root cause of the issue.
WanaBana LLC voluntarily recalled their Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches and announced Schnucks’ recall because the product was also “distributed independently in the US as private label brands under Schnucks Apple Sauce 90g pouches with cinnamon.”
Upon learning Negasmart was the distributor, FDA and Ecuadorian authorities from the Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (ARCSA) began investigating the products, ultimately locating the cinnamon as the root cause.
Ecuador officials reported raw or unprocessed cinnamon from Ecuadorian importers wasn’t contaminated with lead, but the ground or powdered cinnamon from Negasmart was tainted.
The Ecuadorian processor Negasmart is currently not operating.
Ecuadorian officials and the FDA tested approximately 136 non-cinnamon samples like WanaBana Smoothie Mango Passionfruit Banana flavor and Organic Mango purees, but the FDA’s results were negative.
