More children fall sick in US after consuming lead-tainted fruit pouches
More children fall sick in US after consuming lead-tainted fruit pouches
NEW DELHI: Days after 34 children in 22 states fell ill reportedly due to “dangerous lead contamination” in applesauce puree, more kids on Thursday were apparently sickened by apple puree pouches.
Following the initial incidents of illness reportedly after consumption of the products, the Food and Drug Administration had recalled the apple puree pouches. Cinnamon from an Ecuadorian manufacturer is believed to be the source of high levels of lead found in recalled pouches.
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 report includes cases from across 22 states and involves children between the ages of 1 to 4, according to the FDA’s online update on the investigation.
The pouches, promoted to parents and children, were sold under three brands: WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree, Schnucks, and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches. These products were available through major grocery chains, including Dollar Tree, and online platforms like Amazon.
Meanwhile, the FDA said that it is still working with Dollar Tree to get the recalled products off of shelves in several states.
“This product should not be available for sale and consumers should not purchase or consume this product,” the agency said.
The FDA said Wednesday it is probing the source of the contamination in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and urged parents to dispose of the pouches by emptying their contents into the trash and discarding the packaging.
Exposure to lead can cause serious learning and behavioural issues. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, heavy metals such as lead can enter food products through soil, air, water, or industrial processes.
While there is no safe level of lead exposure, the CDC employs a threshold of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter to identify children with higher levels than the majority. The blood lead levels of the affected children varied from 4 to 29 micrograms per deciliter.
(With AP inputs)
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