Rising Illnesses Possibly Due to Lead in Recalled Cinnamon Applesauce Products

There has been a spike of illnesses possibly linked to lead in cinnamon applesauce products after the foods were recalled, and officials are investigating the matter, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Tuesday.

FDA officials are looking into an Ecuadorian company, known as Negasmart, which supplies cinnamon, CNN reported Wednesday.

The particular spice may have contained high levels of lead. The cinnamon is found in the recalled applesauce pouch brands.

Illnesses have been linked to the brand names known as Wanabana, Weis, and Schnucks.

The FDA’s Tuesday announcement read:

To date, the FDA has worked with Ecuadorian authorities to gather information about Negasmart, the supplier of cinnamon to Austrofoods, including whether the cinnamon in the recalled products was used in other products exported to the United States. Working together with Ecuadorian authorities, the FDA has confirmed that, of Negasmart’s direct customers, only Austrofoods ships product to the US. In addition, the FDA has confirmed that Negasmart does not directly export products to the US.

As of December 11, 2023, FDA has received 65 reports of adverse events potentially linked to recalled product. To date, confirmed complainants, or people for whom an adverse event was submitted, are under 6 years of age.

WLTX reported December 7 that the cases were “lead poisoning.” According to the Mayo Clinic, such poisoning can happen when lead builds up in a person’s body.

“Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Children younger than 6 years are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal,” the clinic said.

Per the CNN article, officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, “It has received reports of 46 confirmed cases, 68 probable cases, and 11 suspected cases — 125 in total — as of December 8. Cases have been reported in 22 states.”

The FDA officials have urged those who may have consumed the recalled foods to undergo a blood test to check their lead levels.

In late October, the FDA told parents of small children to trash Wanabana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches due to the lead, Breitbart News reported.

“The FDA released its advisory on Oct. 28 after a developing investigation in North Carolina linked consumption of the WanaBana cinnamon fruit puree to four children with elevated blood levels of lead, indicating potential acute lead toxicity,” the outlet said.