The FDA has posted details on the WanaBana Schnucks Weis applesauce recall for excessive lead contamination. This recall notice was posted on the FDA’s Enforcement Report page, not the regular recall page. In all, 2,998,088 units of these products are included in this recall.
Seven children in five states are sick with acute lead poisoning after eating the WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree product. The Schnucks Cinnamon Applesauce and the Weis Cinnamon Applesauce are also recalled. The Schnucks recall stated that, “The company’s supplier, Purcell International, notified the company about elevated levels of lead that were found in the cinnamon raw material used by Austrofood SAS, the manufacturer of the applesauce cinnamon pouches.” We do not know if that is the same issue with the WanaBana and Weis products.
The recalled products include WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree. The product is in 2.50 or 71 gram pouches. There are 15 pouches per carton and a 3-pack carton in one box. The batch/lot numbers for this product are 10022:31, 11022:08, 11022:09, 11022:10, 11022:12, 11022:14, 11022:15, 11022:16, 12022:23, 01023:03, 01023:17, 01023:23,01023:27,01023:30,01023:31, 02023:07,02023:18, 04023:23, 04023:24,04023:25,04023:26, 05023:08,05023:09,05023:10,05023:11,05023:15, 05023:29, 06023:02, 06023:03, 07023:21, 08023:06, 08023:10, 08023:25, 09023:27, and 10023:19. However, WanaBana has recalled all of this product, regardless of lot number or expiration date.
For the Weis Cinnamon Apple Sauce, each product is in a 3.2 ounce (90 gram) pouch. There are 20 pouches per carton. The batch/lot number for this product is 05023:28.
Schnucks Apple Sauce Fruit Pouch, Cinnamon is also recalled. That product is in a 3.2 ounce (90 gram) pouch. The batch/lot numbers for this product are 05023:19, 09023:22; and 09023:24.
These products were distributed at the retail level in these states: Virginia, Kentucky, and California. They were also distributed to Puerto Rico, United Arab Emirates, and Cuba.
Lead is a heavy metal that can cause serious health issues. There is no safe level of lead intake. Acute lead poisoning often has no symptoms. In the long term, lead can cause learning disabilities and reduce IQ. If your child ate any of these products talk to your doctor about having them tested for lead.
If you bought any of these products, do not eat them. You can take them back to the store where you bought them, or contact your local government about how to dispose of them.
