CDC Calls for More Blood Lead Testing Following Contaminated Apple Sauce Poisonings

In the wake of the nationwide WanaBana applesauce pouch recall issued last year, after hundreds of children were exposed to products distributed throughout the U.S. with toxic levels of lead, federal health officials have issued a new report emphasizing the need for routine blood lead testing to protect children.

Lead is a harmful heavy metal that can result in permanent brain damage and other serious health issues in adults. For children, whose brains and bodies are still developing, the consequences of lead exposure can be particularly severe, ranging from immediate to long-lasting effects.

Short-term symptoms of lead poisoning in children include headaches, abdominal pain, vomiting, and anemia, while prolonged exposure can lead to fatigue, weight loss, and neurological issues such as tremors and muscle aches. In severe cases, lead poisoning can cause brain damage, seizures, growth delays, and even coma or death.

Given the increasing concerns over long-term damage that may result from lead poisoning, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new warnings, highlighting the importance of expanded blood lead testing for children, which is crucial not only for preventing devastating health issues, but also for pinpointing the sources of contaminated products.

This recommendation comes as part of a comprehensive review featured in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report pubished on July 18, which focused on the recall of WanaBana applesauce pouches.

WanaBana Applesauce Recall Lawsuits

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first issued a public health safety alert regarding the WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches on October 28, 2023. Just two days later, the manufacturer issued a WanaBana applesauce pouch recall, confirming that elevated levels of lead in the products may poison children.

Testing revealed that the lead levels in the applesauce pouches were dangerously high, posing a significant risk of lead poisoning to children who consumed them. Federal investigators traced the source of the contamination to a supplier who had deliberately added lead to ground cinnamon as a cost-saving measure to increase profits.

Since the recall and investigation findings, hundreds of Wanabana fruit pouch lawsuits have been filed by parents of children who were diagnosed with lead poisoning from allegedly eating the applesauce products.

As a result, the makers of WanaBana applesauce pouches filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in response to more than 500 lead poisoning lawsuits filed by families of affected children.

However, serious concerns have emerged about how the lead contamination went undetected for so long, exposing so many children to avoidable health risks.

CDC Routine Lead Testing Recommendation

The CDC’s report indicated that the safety advisory stems from an investigation in North Carolina, where officials encourage lead testing for children between the ages of 1 and 2, and mandates it for those who are covered by Medicaid.

Officials reported that routine testing conducted from June to August 2023 in North Carolina identified four children in four different families who had blood lead levels greater than 5 mg/dL. The children were not experiencing symptoms of lead poisoning, but an investigation determined the only source of lead was WanaBana applesauce pouches, and further product testing showed that the samples contained 1 to 3 parts per million (ppm) of lead.

Among those children who tested positive for lead, only 45% were covered by Medicaid, which requires mandatory testing. The other cases were identified through recommended testing protocols. A collaborative investigation that followed the testing detected 500 cases of lead-tainted WanaBana applesauce pouches across the country, 22 of which were recorded in North Carolina.

In response to the tainted applesauce recall and the CDC’s report, the agency is emphasizing the need for widespread, routine testing for lead exposure as well as ongoing environmental testing to identify sources of lead exposure and prevent harm to children.

The CDC said the benefits of routine blood lead testing for children will help with earlier detection, but interagency collaboration is needed to help ensure it is carried out appropriately on a beneficial level.