Discount store applesauce pouches linked to lead-poisoning in Carolinas

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - One type of applesauce pouches sold at some Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores in the Carolinas has been linked to lead poisoning in young children.

Millions of the WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches were recalled by the Food and Drug Administration in late October, but they have a shelf life of 14 months.

Since January 26, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received 404 total case reports from state and local health departments. Reports have come from 43 different states.

Although the products have since been recalled, the concerns now surround the shelf life of these pouches and how the symptoms of lead poisoning are often very minimal.

“The concerning thing about lead poisoning is there often are not any symptoms, or they’re very vague,” Roper St. Francis Family Medicine Dr. Melissa Ellis-Yarian says. “Nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, are some of the more common ones, but you really can’t count on that.”

Even after the recall at the end of October, the FDA said on Dec. 13 that the pouches were still on the shelves of several Dollar Tree stores in multiple states.

“Children are much more susceptible to the effects of lead poisoning because they are developing both physically and mentally; and lead poisoning disrupts many processes in the body,” Ellis-Yarin says. “It can cause anemia, impair kidney function, cause heart and vascular damage, and most concerningly in children, it can cause neurological damage.”

Motley Rice, a Mount Pleasant law firm, is representing two North Carolina parents who are one of the three families that began the entire recall.

A lawsuit filed by Motley Rice on Jan. 25 alleges the fruit pouches caused lead poisoning resulting in lifelong injuries and the need for continued medical treatment for their two toddlers.

The lawsuit is filed against the manufacturers and retailers of the WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches.

“I think it’s important to say that this is a classic example of a company prioritizing its economic profits over the quality of its products, and the safety and well-being of its consumers; in this case, children,” Motley Rice Attorney, Nicholas Williams, says.

The elevated blood levels were first discovered at the children’s annual exams with follow-up testing several weeks later revealing their elevated blood levels had nearly doubled.

The two toddlers continued to consume the products until August of 2023 when the pouches were discovered as a potential cause of the elevated blood levels.

“When these parents came in for what they thought was going to be a typical annual checkup to see how their children were developing, a nightmare ensued,” Williams says.

After ruling out other sources, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services became involved to investigate, and they discovered extremely high concentrations of lead in the pouches.

The FDA then analyzed and backed up the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ investigative findings.

“I would hope that other companies, particularly companies which market and sell products aimed at children, understand the necessity of ensuring that its products do not contain toxic heavy metals such as lead or chromium that will negatively impact children who consumed them,” Williams says.

Williams says they hope the lawsuit can help bring justice for the parents and raise awareness of this problem to other families.

“It’s something that needs to be further investigated, not only through lawsuits, but also through our public health regulatory agencies to ensure our food supply, and the food that our children eat, remains pure and of good quality,” Williams adds.

Ellis-Yarian says it’s very easy to test the lead level in your blood because it’s just a blood test.

“If you ingested this brand of applesauce, or your child did, make sure to go see your doctor,” Ellis-Yarian says. “Do not hesitate on that. If you ingested this packet, make sure to go see your doctor absolutely.”

If you have sought medical treatment and confirmed that the children have consumed one of the WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches, visit MotleyRice.com to seek legal advice

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