Applesauce pouches which were flagged as possibly containing lead have long since been removed from the shelves, but the ripple effect may be just beginning.
A North Carolina family is now suing WanaBana, which manufacturers the applesauce pouches, and Dollar Tree, reports local affiliate Fox 8. The lawsuit says both companies should have made sure the food was safe before putting them on store shelves.
The parents of the family say their children now have lead poisoning after consuming the applesauce and face a lifetime of treatment.
The pouches were recalled in November, but later the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that the product was still being sold at Dollar Tree locations weeks later. The discount retailer said it locked its registers to prevent sales and told stores to remove the items after learning about the recall.
The Centers for Disease Control said it has received 404 reports (100 confirmed) from 43 states of possible lead poisoning after the fruit was digested. The average age of those affected is 1, according to the FDA.
“This lawsuit underscores the critical importance of corporate responsibility in ensuring product safety, especially when the product’s end consumers are vulnerable children,” attorney Nicholas Williams, who is representing the North Carolina family, said in a news release. “Our clients’ children now face lifelong health challenges and medical needs.”
Both Schnucks and Weis Markets sold the pouched applesauce under their own private label brand, and Dollar Tree also carried the product.
Earlier this month, the FDA also announced that a high level of chromium, which could be toxic, was found in WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree and in the cinnamon found at the Ecuador factory where the pouches were made.