The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday an Ecuador-based cinnamon processor was likely the cause of the lead contamination of now-recalled kids’ applesauce products, though the agency is unable to do much in the foreign investigation.
This image provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, shows three recalled applesauce ... [+] products - WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches, Schnucks-brand cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches and variety pack, and Weis-brand cinnamon applesauce pouches. Plastic Packages
Ecuadorian officials identified a company called Carlos Aguilera, a cinnamon processor in the country, as the “likely source” behind the lead poisonings of children’s cinnamon applesauces, though their investigation is still ongoing, according to the FDA’s Tuesday announcement.
Ecuadorian officials tested the unprocessed cinnamon sticks used in the pouches—which were sourced from Sri Lanka—before Carlos Aguilera processed them, and said they weren’t contaminated with lead, the FDA reported.
The FDA said it had “limited authority” in the investigation because neither Carlos Aguilera nor its distributors directly ships to the U.S., but instead puts their products through additional processing and manufacturing before exporting.
FDA officials previously said the applesauce contamination could be intentional as a result of economically motivated adulteration or food fraud—when someone typically adds a cheaper ingredient to food to cut costs while selling the food at a higher value.
As of Jan. 16, the FDA has received a total of 90 reports of lead poisoning across at least 30 states; the average age of affected consumers is one year old.
The issue doesn’t appear to extend to other products, as there are no reports of lead poisoning from consumers of other foods containing cinnamon, according to the FDA’s announcement.
Forbes was unable to immediately contact Carlos Aguilera for comment.
$10 billion-$15 billion. That’s how much experts believe food fraud costs the global food industry per year, according to the FDA. That affects about 1% of the industry.
The FDA initially announced recalls for WanaBana, Weis and Schnucks kids applesauce products in late 2023. The companies used cinnamon sticks from manufacturer Austrofood, which obtained the cinnamon from third-party distributor Negasmart, which sourced its cinnamon from Carlos Aguilera. An FDA investigation found the applesauce pouches had extremely high concentrations of lead, and several children had acute lead poisoning, indicating high blood lead levels. An investigation discovered WanaBana failed to test its products for heavy metals, leading to a citation from the FDA. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received reports of 100 confirmed cases of lead poisoning, 277 probable cases and 36 suspected cases across 43 states. The FDA and CDC use different data sources, so their case numbers may differ, according to the FDA’s Wednesday announcement.
A North Carolina couple sued WanaBana in January after their two toddlers suffered lead poisoning and other “life-threatening” illnesses after consuming the brand’s applesauce. The suit alleges WanaBana and Dollar Tree—where the pouches were sold—should have known the risk of selling the contaminated applesauce pouches after advertising the product as safe with 100% fruit content. A New York resident filed an economic damages suit against WanaBana in December, alleging she lost out on money after unknowingly purchasing contaminated pouches that weren’t consumable. A Maryland couple filed a lawsuit in November after their one-year-old got lead poisoning after eating WanaBana’s pouches.
Parents Of Lead-Exposed Children Sue WanaBana And Dollar Tree Over Contaminated Apple Cinnamon Food Pouches (Forbes)
52 Kids Sick After Eating Products From Kids’ Applesauce Brands Recalled Over Lead Poisoning (Forbes)
I'm a graduate of the University of Miami. Before joining Forbes I worked as a reporter and editor at Bloomberg where I covered everything from sports to how negative rates impacted the Black-Scholes model.
I'm a graduate of the University of Miami. Before joining Forbes I worked as a reporter and editor at Bloomberg where I covered everything from sports to how negative rates impacted the Black-Scholes model.
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