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Recalled applesauce products were still on certain store shelves in mid-December, despite being linked to over 200 lead poisoning cases nationwide, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned.
As of Dec. 13, the WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches were still on shelves “at several Dollar Tree stores in multiple states,” the FDA said.
A few days later, on December 19, the agency also received a report that the same recalled WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Puree product, including the recalled three-packs, may also still be on the shelves of Family Dollar/Dollar Tree mixed stores .
New York health officials confirm primary case related to applesauce recall
The agency warned consumers back in late November that the product was still available at several Dollar Tree stores.
Dollar Tree representatives did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment.
The latest warnings come more than a month after Wanabana LLC initiated a recall of its WanaBana, Schnucks or Weis brand apple cinnamon pouches – manufactured by Ecuador-based Austrofood – due to elevated lead levels.
The recall was prompted after four children in North Carolina experienced “elevated blood lead levels, indicating possible acute lead toxicity,” according to federal health officials.
AT LEAST 22 TODDLERS HAVE BEEN MADE SICK BY FRUIT Pouches, WHICH HAVE LEAD CONCERNS, FDA AND CDC SAY
The product was sold through multiple retailers nationwide, including Amazon, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar/Dollar Tree combination stores, as well as other online outlets. However, the FDA, which is still investigating the matter, said consumers and retailers should dispose of the product properly.
As of December 26, the FDA has received 82 confirmed reports of adverse events in over 30 states that may be related to recalled products. According to health authorities, those affected were up to 53 years old.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is also investigating the outbreak, has received reports of 73 confirmed cases, 157 probable cases and 21 suspected cases. That's a total of 251 reports from health departments in 34 states.
FDA expands investigation into applesauce contaminated with lead. (FDA/Fox News)
The CDC noted that it has different data sources than the FDA, so the case numbers may not match.
The FDA previously told FOX Business that one of the theories it is investigating “regarding the high levels of lead in the recalled cinnamon applesauce bags is that the cinnamon contamination may have resulted from commercially motivated adulteration.”
However, because the investigation is ongoing, the agency reiterated that this is only a theory it is investigating and that “additional research must be conducted before the FDA reaches any conclusions.”
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The FDA said cinnamon samples supplied by Negasmart to Austrofoods had “extremely high levels of lead contamination at approximately 5110 parts per million (ppm) and 2270 ppm.”
By comparison, the FDA said the Codex Alimentarius Commission – an international food standards body co-founded by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization – is considering setting a maximum level of 2.5 parts per million for lead in 2024 Introduce bark spices, including cinnamon.