Attention parents…check your pantries to see if you have any of these recalled lead-tainted applesauces in stock: WanaBana, Schnucks and Weis brand cinnamon applesauce pouches. These products have been recalled as a result of poisoning 400 children and should be tossed immediately and not given to anyone in your household.
“If you’ve purchased these recalled products and may still have them in your homes, do not feed them to children or anyone else,” read the recent food safety advisory issued by the FDA in conjunction with North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein who wanted to warn customers.
These tainted pouches have led to numerous children in 44 states being exposed to dangerously high levels of led. To provide a measurable comparison, per the New York Post, this figure was six times greater than the average during the Flint Michigan water crisis.
Neal Fortin, director of the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations at Michigan State University shard with the Post, “It’s amazing in a bad sense what a catastrophic failure this was,” he lamented.
So, just how did this latest contamination happen?
Well, also according to the Post, the FDA initially accused a spice grinder named Carlos Aguilar of contaminating cinnamon with metals – a tactic often utilized by dishonest vendors seeking to manipulate the weight of their products.
The outlet also stated that the FDA managed to address the problem by recalling three million units of the product, as reported by the New York Times. Regrettably, news later emerged that prior to the recall, the adulterated cinnamon had evaded food safety inspections, including those at the US border, and had not been screened for toxins; therefore, making it to grocery store shelves and ultimately into family homes.
According to the Mayo Clinic, exposure to even low levels of lead can cause damage over time, especially in children. The greatest risk is to brain development, where irreversible damage can occur. Higher levels can damage the kidneys and nervous system in both children and adults. Very high lead levels may cause seizures, unconsciousness and death.
As always, if you suspect that your child has is suffering from lead-poisoning, the CDC recommends that you, “… contact their child’s healthcare provider immediately about getting a blood test.”
