The Food and Drug Administration is urging parents not to give toddlers and young children WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches due to elevated lead levels.
The FDA said late last week that its advisory applies to all lot codes of the product, adding that the company has agreed to recall the products. Generally recalls mean that products can be returned to the store for a refund or exchange.
The recall was prompted by a State of North Carolina investigation prompted by four children exhibiting elevated blood lead levels, indicating potential acute lead toxicity. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services identified that the fruit puree pouches were a possible cause.
After testing the pouches, officials detected extremely high concentrations of lead, enough to cause acute lead toxicity in children.
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The products were sold nationally at numerous retailers, including Sam’s Club, Amazon and Dollar Tree.
The FDA said that even low levels of lead in the bloodstream can cause cognitive impairment in children that is irreversible. Most children won't have obvious immediate symptoms, but if parents suspect their children have been exposed to lead, the FDA says they should talk to their child’s doctor about getting a blood test.
The FDA says short-term symptoms from lead toxicity include headache, abdominal pain/colic, vomiting and anemia. The FDA says lead toxicity can cause longer-term symptoms, including irritability, lethargy, and fatigue.
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