The FDA issued a public health alert advising parents and caregivers not to buy WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit purée pouches because they may contain high levels of lead. Lead can damage a child’s brain and slow their learning and development. The manufacturer voluntarily recalled these products regardless of their expiration dates. Parents of children who have eaten this product should talk to their healthcare provider.

Four children in North Carolina were found to have elevated lead levels in their blood. An investigation found that the source of lead exposure was WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit purée pouches.

A further investigation by North Carolina health officials and the FDA found multiple lots of the WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit pouches to have high levels of lead.

WanaBana voluntarily recalled the apple cinnamon fruit pouches regardless of lot or expiration date, and the FDA is working with state officials to remove all of these products from store shelves

Parents are advised not to buy or feed these WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit pouches to their children.

If a child may have consumed one of these apple cinnamon fruit pouches from WanaBana, officials say that parents should talk to their healthcare provider about having their child’s blood tested for lead.

Most children have no obvious immediate symptoms of lead poisoning, and a blood test is the only way to diagnose lead exposure. If high levels are found, treatments are available.

While it can be hard to see obvious symptoms of lead exposure in children, some signs of short-term poisoning include headache, abdominal pain, headache, and anemia.

Parents and caregivers who have purchased WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit pouches may return them for a full refund.

Officials and WanaBana are still working to discover the source of the lead poisoning in this product.