HEALTH/SCIENCE
CDC Warns Doctors, Parents To Look Out For Lead Poisoning From Tainted Applesauce
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Federal health officials are warning parents and healthcare professionals about more cases of lead exposure among children who have consumed certain cinnamon applesauce products that have been recalled.
WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches, Schnucks cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches and variety packs, and Weiscinnamon applesauce pouches have all been recalled after investigators with the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention found extremely high concentrations of lead.
The CDC issued a health alert Monday warning healthcare professionals to be on the lookout for signs of lead poisoning in young children. The agency reported that as of Nov. 7, 22 children across multiple states were found to have dangerously high blood lead levels.
Cases were reported in children ages 1–3 in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. Their signs and symptoms included headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, change in activity level, and anemia.
The FDA is warning consumers not to eat, sell, or serve recalled WanaBana, Schnucks, or Weis-brand apple cinnamon pouches, and says consumers should discard them. Parents and caregivers of children who have consumed them should seek a blood test, the agency said.
The recalls began with WanaBana in October, and were expanded to Schnucks and Weis cinnamon–apple purees.
A joint investigation by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, local health departments, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the FDA, first identified WanaBana as the link between four initial cases.
The investigation was launched after four children showed elevated blood lead levels, indicating potential acute lead toxicity, and WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches were identified as a potential shared source of exposure.
The FDA said the investigation is ongoing, and additional products containing high levels of lead may still be identified. Investigators are still working to determine the source of the lead contamination.
The FDA said symptoms of lead toxicity include headache, abdominal pain/colic, vomiting and anemia. Longer term exposure can cause a host of other symptoms, including irritability, lethargy, fatigue, muscle aches pr prickling/burning, abdominal discomfort, constipation, difficulty concentrating, tremor, and weight loss.
TMX contributed to this article.
