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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to investigate a production factory in Ecuador after more than 60 young children fell ill having eaten cinnamon apple sauce pouches.
Three brands—Schnucks, WanaBana, and Weis—have recalled their child-marketed products after they were found to put consumers at risk of lead poisoning.
The FDA confirmed on Tuesday that an on-site inspection would be carried out at the Austrofoods facility in Ecuador and that cinnamon samples would undergo lab testing. Newsweek has contacted Schnucks, WanaBana and Austrofoods for comment.
"Lead is toxic to humans and can affect people of any age or health status," Schnucks, one of the companies to have recalled products, said in a statement last month.
Symptoms of short-term exposure include headaches, abdominal pain, vomiting and anemia. Long-term exposure can be more serious, with symptoms including irritability, lethargy and muscle aches and pains. In pregnant women it can cause stillbirth and miscarriage.
Children are more likely to suffer the effects of lead toxicity because they absorb four to five times as much from any given source, according to the World Health Organization. This has led to it being banned in products used for toys and paint. The WHO estimated in 2019 that two million people died globally as a result of lead exposure.
It has not been reported how serious the children's symptoms are in the latest incident but products manufactured at Austrofoods have found their way into a variety of apple pouch products.
The FDA said in a statement that it "has worked with Ecuadorian authorities to gather information about Negasmart, the supplier of cinnamon to Austrofoods."
"Working together with Ecuadorian authorities, the FDA has confirmed that, of Negasmart's direct customers, only Austrofoods ships products to the US," the statement added.
As of Monday, the FDA has received 65 reports of "adverse events potentially linked to recalled product," and said that all those who fell ill were under 6 years of age.
"Most children have no obvious immediate symptoms," Schnucks said.
"If there's suspicion that a child may have been exposed to lead, parents should talk to their child's healthcare provider about getting a blood test. Although lead can only be diagnosed through clinical testing, signs and symptoms of lead toxicity vary based on exposure."
The FDA added: "Our investigation is ongoing to determine the point of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses. We will update the advisory as information becomes available."
