Dollar tree failed to effectively recall lead-contaminated applesauce packets linked to reports of illness in more than 500 children, leaving the products on some store shelves for two months, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday .
The FDA sent a warning letter to Dollar Tree this month and placed Negasmart, the Ecuadorian distributor of WanaBana Apple and Cinnamon Pouches, under import alert following the October 2023 recall of the contaminated products by “extremely high” levels of lead and chromium.
Children in 44 states had probable or confirmed cases of elevated blood lead levels after eating applesauce packets marketed to toddlers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak was declared over in April.
FDA officials sent a warning letter to Dollar Tree Inc. last week, saying WanaBana applesauce products remained on store shelves in several states until late December, two months after the company was informed of the recall. Officials with the Chesapeake, Va.-based company said they were banning the sale of the products in the cases, but the FDA said that was “not an effective measure” because at least one child in the Washington State ate a bag of recalled fruit at a store before attempting to purchase it.
Dollar Tree officials said in an email Tuesday that the company is operating under new management and is taking steps to strengthen its process “to quickly and efficiently execute product recalls.” The company operates more than 16,000 discount stores in 48 states.
Negasmart has been subject to several import alerts this month, even though FDA officials said they had no indication the company was trying to import products into the United States. The action aims to ensure that any attempts by the company to import products would be “flagged” by FDA reviewers and prevented from reaching consumers. Tests have shown that cinnamon tested from the plant had lead levels more than 2,000 times the maximum level proposed by the FDA.
Anyone who has consumed recalled pouches should consult a health care provider, the CDC said. There is no safe level of lead consumption, which can lead to serious learning and behavioral problems, the agency noted.
The pouches include those sold under the WanaBana brand in Dollar Tree stores and online and under the Schnucks and Weis brands in stores. Because they have a long shelf life, they may still be found in consumers’ homes. Consumers should not eat or serve the sachets and should throw them away.
