FDA: Stores Kept Lead-Contaminated Applesauce on Shelves Despite Nationwide Poisoning

As the investigation unfolds into a wave of child lead poisoning linked to Miami Shores-based WanaBana's fruit pouches, federal regulators have warned that the contaminated products remained on the shelves at Dollar Tree stores as late as mid-December, more than a month after a nationwide recall.

WanaBana recalled its cinnamon applesauce pouches on October 29 after North Carolina health officials detected "extremely high levels of lead" in samples and determined the products were the source of elevated levels of the toxic metal in child patients' blood. The recall was later expanded to include applesauce sold under the Schnucks and Weis brand names.

Federal regulators have traced the lead contamination back to cinnamon used in the products marketed as a healthy snack for young children. Recently tested samples from an Austrofoods facility in Ecuador that produced the cinnamon found lead levels 2,000 times higher than the international limit for bark spices. Ecuador-based Negasmart had supplied the cinnamon to Austrofoods, according to U.S. and Ecuadorian authorities.

Despite widespread media coverage of the lead poisoning and weekly alerts from federal regulators, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says the recalled products remained in U.S. stores in December.

"FDA is aware that, as of December 13, recalled WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Puree product (including recalled three packs) was still on the shelves at several Dollar Tree stores in multiple states," the agency says. "As of December 19, FDA also received a report that recalled WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Puree product (including recalled three packs) may still be on shelves at Family Dollar/Dollar Tree combination stores."

Noting the long shelf life, the FDA is urging consumers and stores to double-check old WanaBana, Weis, and Schnucks cinnamon applesauce packages to see if they were part of the recall. The agency notes that the products used to be widely available online, including through Amazon retailers.

An FDA spokesperson said the lead contamination in the cinnamon may have been intentional, "economically motivated adulteration." Past reports of food tampering indicate suppliers have used lead and other toxic metals to increase the weight or enhance the appearance of spices.

As of December 22, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had received 251 reports of "confirmed, probable, and suspected" cases of lead poisoning potentially linked to the contaminated applesauce products. In order to be included in the CDC case count, a patient must have a highly elevated level of lead in their blood.

The FDA has received 82 confirmed reports of "adverse events potentially linked to the recalled product" as of December 26. The agency said the patients range in age from newborns to 53 years old. The number of adverse-event reports has been growing steadily in recent weeks, rising from 52 in mid-November to 65 by December 12.

As previously reported, one cinnamon applesauce sample collected from Dollar Tree had a lead concentration 200 times greater than the recommended level for fruit purees made for toddlers and babies. Testing of products without cinnamon did not show high levels of lead.

With children in 34 states suffering from lead poisoning, the lawsuits are pouring in over the contaminated applesauce.

Mustafa Al-Khaled of Norfolk, Nebraska, a plaintiff in Miami-Dade County court, claims his 17-month-old son "was losing weight at an alarming rate," crying uncontrollably, and passing white stool after he began eating the apple purée two months prior. Blood testing later indicated Al-Khaled's son had high levels of lead in his blood.

Lead exposure can lead to severe health problems in children, including developmental delays, behavioral issues, and damage to the brain and nervous system, according to the CDC.

The FDA in 2018 announced that it would begin naming retailers tied to food recalls that involve serious illness, as a means of more efficiently alerting consumers about tainted products. The change came on the heels of a report from the Office of the Inspector General, which identified deficiencies in the food recall process.

Large corporate retailers have been cited and fined in years past for failing to remove recalled products from their stores promptly. Last year, the parent company of TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Homegoods agreed to pay a $13 million fine for allegedly selling a long list of recalled items, including speakers with fire hazards, unstable bar stools, and infant sleepers with safety defects blamed for child deaths.

Dollar Tree has not responded to New Times' request for comment.

In a November response to reports that the recalled applesauce was still on its shelves, the company said that it had "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," Dollar Tree said in a statement provided to the Miami Herald.

In addition to at least three lawsuits in Miami-Dade state court against WanaBana, a federal class action lawsuit was filed last week in Miami federal court — part of an ever-growing cascade of class actions against the local company.

The complaint includes 11 plaintiffs from Oregon, New York, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Washington, Illinois, and North Carolina, who say their children had high levels of lead in their blood after eating the recalled applesauce pouches. The parents allege they were deceived by WanaBana's branding and marketing that its products are healthy and high-quality.

"The product's selected slogan 'I Am Only Fruit' is used by WanaBana to impart the feeling that parents are giving their children a premium, healthy fruit puree pouch," the class action states.