The lead contaminating recalled applesauce pouches may have been put there intentionally, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA is investigating the Austrofoods facility in Ecuador and plans to analyze cinnamon samples collected from the lots used in the recalled products, the agency said last week.
“We’re still in the midst of our investigation,” FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones told Politico. “But so far all of the signals we’re getting lead to an intentional act on the part of someone in the supply chain, and we’re trying to sort of figure that out.”
The FDA suspects “economically motivated adulteration” of the cinnamon in the sauce, an agency spokesperson told NBC News. Such “food fraud” happens when a cheaper ingredient is secretly added to enhance or bulk up a product. One example is jazzing up a spice’s color with lead-based dyes.
The recalls have been in place since late October and apply to three brands — Weis, WanaBana and Schnucks — that are sold at Dollar Tree, on Amazon and through other outlets online. All three brands have ties to the manufacturing facility that the FDA is now scrutinizing.
Sixty-four children in 27 states fell ill with lead poisoning, all of them under age 6, and all of whom had consumed the variety with cinnamon added. As of Dec. 8, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 46 cases and logged 68 probable cases as well as 11 suspected cases, for a total of 125 potential cases in 22 states, including New York.
Earlier this month, environmental and health officials told The Washington Post they’re investigating at least 118 potential cases in 31 states. Case counts can vary because of differences in reporting methods at the state and federal level, The Post noted. North Carolina health officials told the publication that some of the pouches tested at more than 500 times accepted thresholds.
Meanwhile, federal authorities are urging consumers to clean out their cabinets.
“Consumers should not eat, sell, or serve recalled WanaBana, Schnucks, or Weis-brand apple cinnamon pouches and should discard them,” the FDA said. “These products have a long shelf life. Consumers should check their homes and discard these products.”
With News Wire Services
