More children were apparently sickened by apple puree pouches recently recalled due to dangerous lead contamination, the Food and Drug Administration said.
The agency has received 52 reports of elevated lead levels among children who reportedly consumed the products, which is up from 34 cases reported last week. The reports span 22 states and involve children between the ages of 1 to 4, according to the FDA’s online update on the investigation.
The pouches were marketed to parents and children under three brands: WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree and Schnucks and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches. They were sold by national grocery chains, including Dollar Tree, and online retailers such as Amazon.
The FDA said it is still working with Dollar Tree to get the recalled products off of shelves in several states.
This was my first thought, as well. Pretty much nobody is dumb enough to use lead for any machinery used in food processing, so it’s likely contaminated soil where the cinnamon trees are grown.
Which is extra concerning, because these juices aren’t likely the only products affected by this. The farm this cinnamon was grown from likely supplies dozens, if not hundreds, of food producers across the planet with their product. Hopefully this can be contained.
I’m almost certain that this is what it is, too.
I haven’t eaten any dark chocolate since I found out about how bad the levels of lead and cadmium are. Some dark chocolates are ok, but I don’t love it enough to remember which brands they are. I think most of the other types of chocolate were ok (by today’s standards) though.
If you’re curious: https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/
https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/a-third-of-chocolate-products-are-high-in-heavy-metals-a4844566398/
The second link is as recent as October, this year.