Cinnamon in recalled applesauce pouches had extremely high lead levels
Newsy
The FDA did not find elevated lead levels in any of the 136 samples of Austrofoods' other products tested that did not contain cinnamon.
The level of lead found in cinnamon that was used in recalled applesauce pouches was more than 2,000 times higher than the amount proposed as an international limit, the Food and Drug Administration found.
The agency has been investigating the source of the lead contamination since its initial safety alert about the cinnamon applesauce pouches in October, which has now potentially poisoned 65 young children across the U.S.
The FDA said it finished its onsite inspection of the Austrofoods facility in Ecuador where the applesauce pouches were produced and then sold in the U.S. under the brands WanaBana, Schnucks and Weis. During the inspection, cinnamon samples supplied to Austrofoods from Negocios Asociados Mayoristas S.A., operating as Negasmart, were tested.
“These samples have undergone analysis and results show extremely high levels of lead contamination, 5110 parts per million (ppm) and 2270 ppm,” the FDA said. “For context, the international standard-setting body, Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) is considering adopting a maximum level of 2.5 ppm for lead in bark spices, including cinnamon, in 2024.”
It did not find elevated lead levels in any of the 136 samples of Austrofoods' other products tested that did not contain cinnamon.
