Children's snack pouches sold in Indiana and Michigan being recalled

UPDATE: The St. Joseph County Department of Health has asked all Dollar Tree stores in the county to remove all WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches from their shelves. Residents should also throw out the pouches. 

ORIGINAL STORY: 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Earlier this month the Food and Drug Administration recalled three brands of apple cinnamon fruit purée pouches and cinnamon apple sauce due to elevated lead levels.

The brands impacted are WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis.

WanaBana brand pouches are available nationally, online, and in Michigan Dollar Tree stores.

Schnucks is a local supermarket brand sold in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri. Their cinnamon applesauce pouches that were affected were identified as 05023:19, 09023:22 and 09023:24.

Weis brand cinnamon applesauce pouches are available in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Delaware).The affected lot was identified as 05023:28.

"The FDA, along with the Centers for Disease Control and state and local partners, is investigating reports of elevated blood lead levels in individuals with reported exposure to Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches manufactured in Ecuador and sold under WanaBana, Weis, and Schnucks brands," the agency said in a release. "The FDA’s investigation is ongoing to determine the point of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses. At this time, the FDA is not aware of any other reports of illnesses or elevated blood lead level adverse events reported for other cinnamon-containing products or cinnamon."

According to the FDA, although signs and symptoms of lead toxicity vary, short term exposure to lead could result in headache, abdominal pain/Colic, vomiting, and anemia, while longer term exposure could result in irritability, lethargy, fatigue, muscle aches or muscle prickling/burning, occasional abdominal discomfort, constipation, difficulty concentrating/muscular exhaustibility, tremor, and weight loss.

Parents of children who have eaten the recalled products or have other suspected sources of lead exposure should contact the child’s health care provider about blood lead testing.

Consumers are urged to stop using the affected products immediately and discard the products or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, there have been multiple cases across several states, including Michigan, of elevated blood lead levels in children due to eating one of these products.

To learn more about blood lead testing, visit the MI Lead Safe webpage. Consumers and health care providers can monitor updates about this recall on the FDA's Recalls, Outbreaks, and Emergencies webpage.