Lead-contaminated applesauce pouches also contained chromium, FDA says
The lead-contaminated WanaBana cinnamon applesauce pouches also contain the heavy metal chromium, the FDA said on Friday.
Children who consumed the recalled lead-contaminated WanaBana cinnamon applesauce pouches may also have been exposed to the heavy metal chromium, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
The FDA tested samples of the recalled product as part of its investigation into cases of lead poisoning in the U.S. that are linked to the applesauce. In addition to WanaBana cinnamon applesauce, the recall included two other products made by the company: the supermarket brands Schnucks applesauce pouches with cinnamon and Weis cinnamon applesauce.
As of Dec. 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had received 287 confirmed, probable and suspected reports of elevated blood lead levels linked to the pouches across 37 states.
Chromium occurs naturally in two forms: chromium-3, which is an essential nutrient, and chromium-6, which is a known carcinogen, according to the CDC.
Due to testing limitations, the FDA said it couldn’t determine which form of chromium was in the applesauce pouches. However, the ratio of lead to chromium found in the samples suggested it might be chromium-6, the FDA said. That’s because the lead-to-chromium ratio in the applesauce was consistent with that of a chemical compound called lead chromate, which contains both lead and chromium-6.
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