Florida warns about lead poisoning and fruit pouches. A chain still sells them, FDA says
As the Florida Department of Health warned Wednesday about toddlers having elevated levels of lead in their blood from recalled applesauce pouches, the FDA posted an update that said Dollar Tree was still selling recalled applesauce.
“The FDA is aware that recalled WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Purée is still on the shelves at several Dollar Tree stores in multiple states,” the Wednesday afternoon update said. “This product should not be available and consumers should not purchase this product.”
A Dollar Tree spokesperson, in an email to the Miami Herald, replied, “In response to WanaBana’s Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouch voluntary recall announcement, Dollar Tree locked its registers to prevent sales and instructed stores to remove the product from the shelves. We are committed to the safety and integrity of the products we sell. If customers have this recalled product, they are advised to stop using it immediately and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.”
WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Purée was first recalled on Oct. 30 and that recall has been expanded to all lot numbers. Lot Nos. 05023:19, 09023:22 and 09023:24 of Schnucks Cinnamon Apple Sauce pouches and Weis Cinnamon Apple Sauce Pouches, lot No. 05023:28 were recalled the following week. All were made by Ecudorian company Austrofood SAS.
READ MORE: More brands of fruit products recalled for possibly leading to lead poisoning.
Of the three recalled products, only WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Purée Pouches could be bought in Florida. Schnucks is a supermarket chain with about 100 stores in four Midwest states, and Weis Markets has almost 200 stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware.
Of course, these pouches are exactly the kind of small, portable snack food parents of toddlers like to have on hand for plane trips and long car rides.
As of Wednesday, the FDA said, “there have been 52 reports of adverse events potentially linked to recalled product submitted to FDA. To date, confirmed complainants are less than 1 to 4 years of age.”
The Florida Department of Health warning said there have been five children ages 1 to 3 with too much lead in their blood.
“Although children typically do not show obvious signs of lead exposure, symptoms may develop depending on the level of exposure,” the warning stated. “Short-term exposure symptoms can include headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and anemia. Long-term exposure can result in damage to the brain and nervous system that can result in slowed growth and development as well as learning, hearing and speech impairments.”
Other states with kids sickened, according to the FDA are New York (seven); North Carolina (five); Louisiana (four); Texas, Michigan, Maryland and Washington (three each); Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Massachusetts, South Carolina (two each); and one child each in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Tennessee and Virginia.
This story was originally published November 23, 2023 at 1:04 PM.
