TUESDAY, Nov. 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) — As the latest number of children exposed to lead after consuming pouches of cinnamon-flavored apple puree has climbed to 22, doctors should be on the lookout for the toxin in children, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.
In a health advisory the agency sent out to health care providers, officials said any provider who has such a patient should report the case to local health authorities. The agency added that it is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and state and local partners to investigate the link. But there are already clues: State labs have found “extremely high” levels of lead in certain lots of cinnamon applesauce pouches that have since been recalled by WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis.
In its initial alert on the recall issued late last month, the FDA said four children in North Carolina had been found to have high levels of lead in their blood that was linked to the WanaBana products. Cases of high blood lead levels in children have now been reported in 14 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.
The pouches were sold by retailers including Amazon, Dollar Tree, and Sam’s Club. The FDA has warned families not to eat or serve these products and encourages them to throw out the pouches or return them to the store where they bought them for a refund. Caregivers should take any children who may have eaten these products to have blood tests to check for lead exposure, the CDC added.
The companies involved are working to find the source of the contamination in these products, the agency added.
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