Lead and Chromium Found in WanaBana Applesauce Pouches Favorited by Children – No Testing was Performed on the Final Product Before Importation
According to the FDA, the cinnamon sticks that were processed for use in the WanaBana Cinnamon Applesauce that contained high levels of lead was sourced from Sri Lanka. According to Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (known by the acronym “ARSCA”), the Sri Lanka cinnamon sticks were “negative” for lead poisoning when they were provided to Negasmart or Carlos Aguilera, the two Ecuadorian companies involved in manufacturing the product. According to ARSCA, the cinnamon sticks were not contaminated with lead, and the lead poisoning likely happened during the processing by Carlos Aguilera. According to ARSCA, Carlos Aguilera is no longer in operation.
The FDA says it has limited authority over these companies, especially since the final product to be sold in the U.S. undergoes additional manufacturing and processing before exportation.
According to the CDC, the WanaBana applesauce contained both high levels of lead and chromium.
According to the FDA, the final product was never tested for lead or chromium. This defect in WanaBana’s operationist he subject of a number of the allegations in the WanaBana Applesauce lawsuits brought by the National Food Poisoning law firm of Ron Simon & Associates. In their lawsuits, Ron Simon has stated he expects to uncover problems from Negasmart, Carlos Aguilera, and WanaBana, as well as the retail outlets who also sold the product without properly testing it.
There are now over 400 alleged victims, ranging in age from under 1 year of age to over 50, though the majority are small children in the developmental stage where lead and chromium are most dangerous. According to the CDC, there is no safe level of lead, and even small amounts can cause irreparable harm. Medical professionals, while again stating there is no safe level of harm, considers any measurement above 2 to 3.5, depending on who is asked, to represent an acute, highly dangerous level. Many of the victims have levels in the double digits.
