Dollar Tree botched WanaBana recall, FDA says

Dollar Tree WanaBana recall overview: 

• Who: The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to Dollar Tree after finding the retailer continued to sell WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches after an October 2023 recall. 
• Why: The agency said Dollar Tree continued to sell the recalled WanaBana fruit puree pouches “well after the recall was initiated” over elevated lead levels. 
• Where: Dollar Tree has store locations nationwide. 

The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to Dollar Tree after finding the grocer continued to offer WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches that had been recalled over elevated lead levels. 

In its letter, the FDA said subsequent audit checks in the wake of the October 2023 recall found Dollar Tree continued to sell the recalled WanaBana fruit puree pouches “well after the recall was initiated.” 

The FDA also said it had tried multiple times to communicate the problem to Dollar Tree.

“Despite numerous attempts to bring this serious issue to your attention, your firm continued to offer adulterated Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches on store shelves, leaving children at risk of exposure to these adulterated products,” the FDA wrote, in its warning letter. 

Dollar Tree informed in writing about WanaBana fruit pouch recall 

The FDA, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found multiple lots of WanaBana fruit puree pouches contained “extremely high concentrations of lead” through lab analysis. 

The WanaBana fruit puree pouches found to contain high concentrations of lead included ones collected from Dollar Tree stores, according to the FDA, which said Dollar Tree was informed about the recall in writing on Oct. 29, 2023. 

“In the weeks and months that followed (the recall), state and local partners in multiple states continued to report the presence of recalled WanaBana pouches on Dollar Tree store shelves,” the FDA wrote, in its warning letter. 

WanaBana chose to initiate a voluntary recall after the FDA issued an advisory to consumers telling them not to buy or feed the recalled Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches to toddlers or young children. 

The company said at the time that it was working with the FDA to determine the cause of the lead contamination, following four reports of illnesses. 

Were you affected by the WanaBana puree pouch recall? Let us know in the comments.

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