Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (by the way) — A North Carolina family has sued Florida-based applesauce manufacturing and retail giant Dollar Tree to ensure that the two companies ensure that certain applesauce pouches marketed to children are safe before they hit store shelves. They are filing a lawsuit for not being able to confirm this.
South Carolina-based law firm Motley Rice filed the lawsuit last week in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit, which includes Miami-Dade County, where Wannabana is headquartered.
Parents claim their young children will develop lead poisoning after eating the snack and will require lifelong treatment. The lawsuit also alleges that Wannabana and Dollar Tree should have known their products were dangerous and “unreasonably exposed consumers to extreme risk of serious, lifelong injury.”
As of January 26, 2024, CDC says There have been 404 reports from 43 states of possible lead poisoning from fruit bags. Of those, nearly 100 are confirmed, 269 are probable cases, and 37 are considered suspect.
What occurred was First discovered in October.At least one adult has reported elevated blood lead levels after eating a lead-contaminated bag, but the median age is sick people 1, the FDA said.
The recalled fruit puree bags at the center of the outbreak were sold under the Wannabana brand in Dollar Tree stores and online, and in stores under the Schnucks and Weiss brands.
“This case highlights the critical importance of corporate responsibility in ensuring the safety of products, especially when the end consumers of those products are vulnerable children. Our Clients’ Children currently faces lifelong health challenges and medical needs,” attorney Nicholas Williams said in a news release.
According to CDC data, lead poisoning cases were reported in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and Kentucky. It has been reported in Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, and Missouri. , Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
The affected pouches include After being recalled. The CDC warns that you shouldn’t eat it if you still have it in your home. Instead, discard them or return them to the place of purchase. If you or your child ingests a recalled pouch, the CDC recommends calling your health care provider about testing for lead.
In a statement to WBTW, a Dollar Tree representative said the company is “aware of the lawsuit” and “cannot comment on pending litigation.”
“Please know that we take the situation very seriously and value the safety and integrity of the products we sell,” the statement continued.
“In response to a voluntary recall announcement for WanaBana’s Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches, Dollar Tree has locked registers to prevent sales, removed the product from shelves in accordance with FDA guidelines, and instructed stores to discard affected packaging. We implemented these directives, including audits by field teams and the use of third parties to ensure product removal in stores and the effectiveness of notification signage. We removed the product from shelves, destroyed it in accordance with recall guidance, and kept the register lock in place. We were also in regular contact with the FDA. Customers with this recalled product are encouraged to immediately stop using it and return it to their place of purchase for a full refund. ”
Wanabana did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Nexstar’s WBTW.
The civil lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that investigators had detected “high concentrations” of the potentially toxic chemical element chromium, in addition to lead, in cinnamon taken from Wannabana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree and apples. did. ecuador factory Where the pouch was manufactured.
FDA investigators said it was unclear what type of chromium was found in the product.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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