More reports of toddlers becoming ill after eating fruit puree pouches that were recalled because of lead poisoning are being reported by US health officials.
The Food and Drug Administration reported that apple puree pouches that were recently recalled due to severe lead contamination appeared to have affected more children.
52 reports of increased lead levels among youngsters who allegedly eaten the goods have been sent to the EPA, an increase over the 34 cases that were recorded the previous week. The FDA’s online investigation update notes that the reports, which include 22 states, concern children ages 1 to 4.
Three brands were used to promote the pouches to parents and kids: Schnucks and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches, as well as WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree.
Online merchants like Amazon and big grocery stores like Dollar Tree carried them.
According to the FDA, efforts are ongoing to remove the recalled products from Dollar Tree’s stores in multiple states.
The government declared, “Consumers should not purchase or consume this product and it should not be available for sale.”
According to the organization, parents should get rid of the pouches by dumping the contents into the trash and throwing away the wrapping.
In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FDA announced on Wednesday that it is looking into the source of the contamination. The EPA had earlier stated that the “likely source” of the lead contamination was cinnamon that was imported from an Ecuadorian company.
Exposure to lead can cause major behavioral and learning issues. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that industrial processes, soil, air, or water can all introduce heavy metals like lead into food products.
Although there is no acceptable level of lead exposure, children who have higher than average levels can be identified by the CDC using a marker of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter. The blood lead levels of the afflicted children varied from 4 to 29 micrograms per deciliter.
