Maker of Recalled Applesauce Being Sued for Lead Poisoning

WanaBana voluntarily recalled its Apple Cinnamon Fruit Purée Pouches on Oct. 29, 2023, due to high levels of lead.

The pouches were distributed nationwide through online and in retail stores. The affected product is WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree in a 3-pack of 2.5 oz. pouches.

Today, the national food safety law firm of Ron Simon & Associates and the Gomez Trial Attorneys have filed the first lawsuit in the lead poisoning outbreak linked to WanaBana LLC, the company that manufactures, imports, and/or distributes the Ecuadorian applesauce in pouches.

According to the FDA, this product contains approximately 200-times the acceptable action level for lead, measuring at 21.8 parts per million.

Lead is toxic to humans and can affect people of any age or health status. Protecting children from lead exposure is important to lifelong good health. Lead exposure in children is often difficult to see. Most children have no obvious immediate symptoms. 

Four illnesses were reported at the time of the recall, leading North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to investigate and sample the pouches. North Carolina’s analyses came back with elevated concentrations of lead which could result in acute toxicity.

Currently, at least 34 victims have been identified, but that number may grow significantly as additional consumers step forward to be tested.

"Any child who consumed WanaBana applesauce pouches should be taken to be tested, said Simon. "Routine blood work can look for elevations in lead poisoning. Early detection and treatment are vital to preventing any long-term illness or side-effects."

The law firm is representing a number of the children and their families, and the law firm is filing the WanaBana applesauce Lead Poisoning Lawsuit on behalf of one of them so they can begin to investigate how this happened and what can be done to prevent this from happening again, Simon said.

FDA reported on Nov. 3, 2023, that since the first alert was issued, the investigation was transferred to FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response & Evaluation (CORE) Network for additional follow up, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local partners.

Two additional brands of applesauce product are also subject to recall now: certain Schnucks cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches and variety pack, and certain Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches.

FDA is advising parents and caregivers not to buy or feed WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches to toddlers and young children.