Sen. Amy Klobuchar and several of her Washington colleagues wrote to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday, asking for a swift reaction to high levels of toxic heavy metals found in food for babies and young children.
The concerns center around apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches from companies WanaBana, Schnucks and Weis. The FDA has received at least 52 reports of elevated lead levels in children who ate these products.
The lead contamination affected children ages 1 through 4 in 22 different states. The pouches have been recalled, but remain widely available through Dollar Tree, Amazon and other retailers.
When the FDA tested the product, it contained 200 times more lead than allowed by federal guidelines.
The FDA released an update Thursday that cinnamon is likely the source of contamination, and it was supplied by a distribution company in Ecuador. The agency is working with Ecuadorian authorities to investigate.
Klobuchar teamed up to write the letter with Senator Tammy Duckworth, Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, Representative Tony Cárdenas, Representative Katie Porter, Representative Sean Casten, Representative Rosa DeLauro and Representative Jason Moskowitz.
In the letter, the lawmakers called for pouches to be held to the same heavy metal safety standards as baby food.
“Lead is toxic to people of all ages, but can be especially harmful to infants and young children. In light of recent harm caused by certain cinnamon applesauce and fruit puree products, it is clear that the agency must prioritize the work on heavy metal action levels,” wrote the lawmakers.
"We… urge the Food and Drug Administration to swiftly finalize its Closer to Zero guidance for industry. We also request FDA include the potential source of these recent cases of reported lead poisoning in young children, food puree pouches, in the finalized Closer to Zero guidance for industry.”
Closer to Zero is the FDA's guidance to reduce contaminants in food eaten by babies and young children.
The FDA said that short-term exposure can cause a headache, abdominal pain, colic, vomiting or anemia. Long-term exposure may cause irritability, lethargy, fatigue, muscle aches or pains, constipation, difficulty concentrating, muscle weakness, tremor, or weight loss.
If you think your child was exposed to lead, contact your healthcare provider.
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