Yes, multiple brands of applesauce pouches have been recalled

Applesauce is one of the rare snacks that is healthy, sweet and easy to eat all at once, making it a popular treat for parents to give to their young children.

Google searches regarding a recall for cinnamon applesauce pouches have been rising this past week, and one VERIFY reader texted us to ask if the recall was real and what brands have been recalled.

THE QUESTION

 Is there a recall for multiple brands of cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches?

THE SOURCES

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• WanaBana USA
• North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS)

THE ANSWER

Yes, there is a recall for multiple brands of cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches.

WHAT WE FOUND

WanaBana USA is voluntarily recalling all of its WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Purée pouches due to reports that some of its pouches contain elevated levels of lead, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says. Certain Schnucks and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches have also been recalled.

Three lots of Schnucks Apple Sauce 90g pouches with cinnamon are being recalled: 05023:19, 09023:22 and 09023:24. One lot of Weis Cinnamon Apple Sauce 90g is also being recalled: 05023:28. The lot number can be found on the back of the pouches, usually near the bottom.

The FDA said the WanaBana pouches are sold nationally through Dollar Tree, Amazon and other online retailers. The Schnucks pouches are sold at Schnucks and Eatwell Markets grocery stores. The Weis pouches are sold at Weis grocery stores.

The FDA has not found elevated levels of lead in samples of WanaBana, Weis and Schnucks fruit puree pouches that do not contain cinnamon, according to the FDA’s Nov. 16 update of its investigation into the lead contamination. 

Since the FDA has only found elevated lead levels in pouches containing cinnamon, the FDA suspects the cinnamon used in these products, which are manufactured in Ecuador, is the source of the lead contamination.

“At this time, FDA has no indication that this issue extends beyond these recalled products, but to further protect public health, FDA is screening incoming shipments of cinnamon from multiple countries for lead contamination,” the FDA said in the Nov. 16 investigation update.

WanaBana USA has told consumers not to eat or serve the recalled applesauce, and to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. The FDA says consumers should immediately discard the recalled applesauce and wash their hands after cleaning up any spills. The FDA also suggests consumers check their homes for the recalled product because it has a long shelf life.

An FDA sample of the affected WanaBana apple cinnamon puree contained 2.18 parts per million (ppm) of lead, which is “more than 200 times greater” than the action level the FDA has proposed for fruit purees and similar products intended for babies and young children, the FDA said.

As of Nov. 16, the FDA has identified 34 reports of illness potentially linked to the recalled applesauce. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) says that low levels of lead exposure may cause behavioral, developmental and health problems, and that children under 6 are especially vulnerable to lead’s adverse effects because they are “undergoing critical neurological and physical development.”

The FDA says short-term exposure to lead could also result in headaches, abdominal pain/colic, vomiting and anemia, however; parents should be warned that “most children have no obvious immediate symptoms of lead exposure.”

Therefore, any parents who believes their child may have been exposed to lead, including by eating the recalled applesauce, should talk to their child’s healthcare provider about getting a blood test. 

The investigation into the contaminated applesauce began when the NCDHHS found elevated concentrations of lead in sample pouches after there were four reported illnesses in western North Carolina. 

WanaBana recalled certain lot numbers of the contaminated applesauce pouches in late-October, following the investigation by the NCDHHS. That recall expanded to all pouches of WanaBana’s apple cinnamon pouches as well as some Weis and Schnuck pouches in early-November, after the FDA and its state partners began analyzing additional samples of the affected applesauce.

The FDA’s investigation is still ongoing, and the agency is working with Ecuadorian authorities to investigate the source of the cinnamon.

“In addition to determining the source of cinnamon, FDA’s investigation is ongoing to determine the point of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses,” the FDA said on Nov. 16. “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.”