Toxic toddler fruit pouches: “Extremely high” lead levels sicken 7 in 5 states

Enlarge / The three pouches so far linked to lead contamination. (credit: FDA)

At least seven children across five states have suffered acute lead poisoning linked to at least three brands of apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches marketed to children and sold nationwide, the Food and Drug Administration announced in an updated safety alert Friday.

The brands include WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches, Schnucks brand cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches, and Weis brand cinnamon applesauce pouches. All three have been recalled. Consumers should not buy, sell, serve, or eat any of these products. Any pouches that have already been purchased should be thrown away. Parents or guardians of any children who may have eaten the purees should talk with health care providers about blood lead tests.

In an October 28 alert, the FDA said it was working with authorities in the state of North Carolina who had identified four children with elevated blood lead levels in the western part of the state. North Carolina considers a child to have elevated blood lead levels if they have two consecutive blood lead test results greater than or equal to 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dl)—at which point the child becomes eligible for an investigation into the lead source. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meanwhile has a threshold of 3.5 µg/dl to consider a blood lead level high, which corresponds to the 97.5th percentile of blood levels in a survey of US children.