Dollar Tree Reportedly Fails to Remove Tainted Products From Shelves

When a food recall happens, most retailers, brands, and companies comply by actually removing the recalled product or products from shelves. But one major retailer failed to do that and the product in question was linked to hundreds of children being sickened.

Dollar Tree failed to fully recall lead-tainted applesauce pouches. These puches were linked to reports of illness in more than 500 children, leaving the products on some store shelves for two months, the Food and Drug Administration said.

The FDA Warned Dollar Tree

The FDA placed Negasmart, the Ecuadorian distributor of WanaBana apple cinnamon pouches, under import alerts following the October 2023 recall of the products. This was done to ensure that any attempt by the firm to import products would be “flagged” and prevented from reaching consumers.

Related: FDA Recalls Several Brands of Cinnamon Due to High Levels of Lead

Tests showed that cinnamon tested from the plant used to make the applesauce had lead levels more than 2,000 times higher than the maximum level proposed by the FDA. Children in 44 states had probable or confirmed cases of elevated blood lead levels after eating the applesauce pouches marketed for toddlers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak was declared over in April.

FDA officials sent a warning letter to Dollar Tree Inc. last week saying the products remained on store shelves in several states through late December, two months after the firm was told about the recall.

Officials at the company had said they disallowed sales of the products at registers, but the FDA said that was “not an effective measure” because at least one child in Washington state ate a recalled fruit pouch in a store before an attempted purchase.

Dollar Tree officials said in an email Tuesday that the company is operating under new management and is taking steps to ensure “quickly and effectively executing product recalls.” The company operates more than 16,000 stores across 48 states.

What To Do Now

Anyone who consumed the pouches should consult with a healthcare provider, the CDC said. There is no safe level of lead consumption, which can cause serious learning and behavior problems, the agency emphasized.

The pouches include those sold under the WanaBana brand at Dollar Tree stores and online and under the Schnucks and Weis brands in stores. Because they have a long shelf life, they may still be in consumers’ homes, so you should check your pantry for the product.

Consumers should not eat or serve the pouches and should discard them.

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