The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken action to screen shipments of cinnamon from multiple countries as part of an ongoing investigation into lead poisonings. The agency's investigation follows reports of 34 illnesses linked to pouches of cinnamon-flavored applesauce.
Authorities in North Carolina initially raised concerns about a potential link between applesauce and lead poisonings, prompting the FDA to intensify its investigation. The cases have now been reported in 22 states, and the affected pouches were sold nationwide under the recalled brands WanaBana, Weis, and Schnucks.
The FDA's current theory is that the toxic lead levels are caused by the cinnamon used in the production of the applesauce. However, other fruit puree products from the same brands have not shown elevated lead levels and have not been recalled.
Samples collected from a WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Puree product from Dollar Tree tested positive for lead levels "more than 200 times greater" than proposed limits the FDA has set for products intended for babies and young children, the agency said.
According to an FDA table, on-site inspections are now ongoing, along with efforts to trace back the ingredients behind the poisonings.
Schnuck Markets had also previously blamed "cinnamon raw material" supplied by Ecuador-based Austrofood, the parent company of WanaBana, for the recall.
However, the FDA said it has yet to secure samples of the cinnamon used in the recalled products to test and is still working with authorities in Ecuador to track down the source.
"This is a very high priority for us and we are investigating aggressively. I hope we have our arms around this," said Jim Jones, the FDA's deputy commissioner for human foods, at an event by the Alliance for a Stronger FDA.
Jones acknowledged that it was possible other foods on the market may have used the lead-contaminated ingredients.
"We are putting in a lot of effort and investigation to determine the exact location of the issue and partner with relevant parties. Our goal is to resolve this quickly and remove the contaminated food from the supply," stated Jones.
The countries from which the FDA is screening cinnamon shipments are currently unknown. The FDA spokesperson did not provide immediate comment on this matter.
According to a CDC alert released on Monday, children between the ages of 1 and 3 years old tested positive for blood lead levels as high as 29 micrograms per deciliter after consuming the applesauce.
At such levels, the CDC advises doctors to contact specialists or poison control centers and initiate investigations to address the issue.
The CDC alert emphasized that children exposed to lead may not show immediate symptoms, but even low levels of lead can result in learning, behavioral, and cognitive impairments. Parents who purchased the recalled pouches are urged to have their children tested for lead poisoning.
