WASHINGTON—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to investigate reports of adverse reactions due to elevated levels of lead and chromium found in cinnamon applesauce pouches across the country.
As of January 8, 2024, FDA has received 87 confirmed complaints/reports of adverse events potentially linked to recalled products. To date, confirmed complainants, or people for whom a complaint or adverse event was submitted and met FDA’s complainant definition, are between zero and 53 years of age and the median age is one year old.
CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health is conducting case finding efforts in collaboration with state and local health departments. CDC’s case definition for state partners includes a blood lead level of 3.5 µg/dL or higher measured within 3 months after consuming a recalled WanaBana, Schnucks, or Weis brand fruit puree product after November 2022.
As of January 5, CDC has received reports of 86 confirmed cases, 209 probable cases, and 26 suspected cases for a total of 321 cases from 38 different states through their reporting structure.
CDC and FDA have different data sources, so the counts reported by each agency will not directly correspond. In addition, some people who were affected by the contaminated product might be reflected in both the numbers reported by the FDA and the numbers reported by CDC.
FDA’s investigation is ongoing to determine the point of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses.
Additional information on this investigation is available at the FDA’s website here.
