An update from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday states that applesauce fruit puree pouches that are being recalled and are being investigated for potentially harmful lead levels may also include chromium.
The items that are being recalled are the cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches from the WanaBana, Weis, and Schnucks brands. All of them were produced at an FDA-inspected facility in Ecuador by AustroFoods. The FDA stated that high lead levels seem to be related to the cinnamon used in the applesauce that was provided by Negasmart, a different business.
With regard to poisoned fruit puree pouches, at least 287 confirmed, probable, and suspect cases of lead poisoning have been documented in 37 states thus far, according to the most recent update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “After additional analysis of both recalled cinnamon apple products and the cinnamon collected from the manufacturer in Ecuador, the FDA has determined that, in addition to lead, the cinnamon and recalled products also contained a high level of chromium,” the FDA announced in its Friday update. Chromium is a naturally occurring element that comes in various forms. According to the CDC, chromium III is an essential nutrient, while chromium VI is known to cause cancer.
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lead
At this time, however, the FDA “was not able to definitively determine the form of chromium in the cinnamon apple puree sample,” the agency said. In any case, “people who ate recalled products, especially if they had elevated blood lead levels, may have been exposed to chromium and should inform their healthcare provider so they can monitor their health and provide supportive care as needed,” the FDA said.
Ongoing investigation
The inquiry into cases of lead poisoning linked to applesauce pouches in the United States is still ongoing. A CDC official told CBS News that the median age of cases under investigation “is nearly 2 years old,” while reports of children as old as 9 have been received.
State health departments have been warned by federal officials to look for cases of lead poisoning, which may go unnoticed if kids who eat applesauce tainted with lead don’t have blood tests for the metal tested by their doctor. Last month, AustroFoods said that it would pay consumers up to $150 for lead testing. The FDA announced at the beginning of December that levels of hazardous lead found in the poisoned fruit puree sachets were 2,000 times higher than recommended guidelines.
‘Intentional act’
An FDA source claimed in an interview with Politico at the beginning of December that the applesauce that was recalled may have had its cinnamon purposefully poisoned. The deputy commissioner for human foods at the FDA, Jim Jones, told Politico, “We’re still in the midst of our investigation.” “However, up until now, every indication we’ve received points to a deliberate action by a supply chain participant, and we’re working to sort that out.” “It seems to me that they didn’t anticipate this product would be placed in a nation with a strict regulatory framework,” Jones stated. “They believed it would wind up somewhere where people could not detect something like this.”
Jones told Politico that food adulteration outside the United States “is always going to be tricky to absolutely stop if somebody has intent to purposefully do something like this.” An FDA spokesperson also told Politico: “We have limited authority over foreign ingredient suppliers that do not directly ship products to the U.S. because their food undergoes further manufacturing and processing prior to export.” Still, he said, “We’re going to chase that data, find whoever was responsible and hold them accountable.”
Advice to parents
As of right now, sample analysis of fruit puree pouches from WanaBana, Weis, and Schnucks that are not recalled and don’t contain cinnamon hasn’t revealed any higher lead levels. Four children in North Carolina were the first to have high blood lead levels connected to the WanaBana products, the FDA stated in its initial warning about the recall that was sent out in late October. The FDA stated that food manufacturers are required by law to take precautions against chemical dangers when necessary. This involves taking steps to reduce or completely eradicate the amount of lead in their products. Families are urged by the FDA to discard or return the pouches and have been cautioned not to eat or serve these products.
The CDC also advised caregivers to get blood tests to see whether any children who may have consumed these products were exposed to lead. There is no safe level of exposure to lead, according to the CDC, as it is hazardous to people, especially children. Children that are exposed may experience developmental delays. Lead poisoning can cause head, stomach, and muscle aches, vomiting, anemia, irritability, exhaustion, and weight loss as its initial symptoms.
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