Recalled applesauce pouches now linked to more than 200 lead poisoning cases in 33 states, CDC says (Dec 2023) Article

[Michael Harrop]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/recalled-applesauce-pouches-cinnamon-lead-poisoning-cases-states-cdc/

Health authorities are now investigating at least 205 cases of lead poisonings across 33 different states linked to contaminated applesauce, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday. That's up from 125 cases in the agency's last weekly tally.

AustroFood, manufacturer of the now-recalled WanaBana, Weis and Schnucks brand cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches, said Monday it will reimburse customers for up to $150 for lead tests.

Testing by FDA investigators from AustroFood's plant in Ecuador found that cinnamon which had been added to the applesauce pouches was contaminated with "extremely high" concentrations — as much as 5,110 parts per million — of lead.

"The FDA is still working to determine an exact cause or point of contamination at this time and cannot comment further," the spokesperson said.

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[Michael Harrop]

A discussion of some of the regulatory holes, and difficulty of tracking down the source of the lead and preventing it from happening again https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/lead-contaminated-applesauce-pouches-expose-issues-with-food-safety-oversight.

They also note that there are no immediately obvious symptoms. That makes it quite scary as you don't notice anything bad is happening, then all of a sudden you wake up in Idiocracy.