New Granola Recall and Update on Apple Sauce Recall

Late last week, the Quaker Oats Company announced it had recalled specific granola bars and granola cereals because they had the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The products involved in the recall are sold throughout the 50 United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Saipan.

As of December 15, the company had received no confirmed reports of illness related to the products covered by this recall, and they pointed out this recall only applies to the specific products listed in the announcement. To find out which specific products were affected by the recall, go to the FDA website here.

As with all food recalls, consumers are advised to not consume the products, and either return products where purchased, or dispose of them.

Salmonella symptoms typically appear 12 to 72 hours after infection according to the FDA. The illness, salmonellosis, usually lasts 4 to 7 days and most people recover without treatment. However, they caution that approximately 450 people die annually from salmonella, and at-risk groups for severe infection include: children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.²

Most people with salmonellosis develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. More severe cases of salmonellosis may include a high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, a rash, blood in the urine or stool, and in some cases may become fatal.²

Apple Sauce Recall

Just this past week, the FDA submitted more information about a voluntary recall that occurred in November, which involved all lots of WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Purée pouches due to reports of elevated levels of lead found in certain units of the product.³

In its most recent update, the FDA reported it was conducting an onsite inspection at the Austrofoods facility located in Ecuador. Cinnamon samples collected from the lots used in recalled products will undergo laboratory analysis. FDA will update this advisory to share the sample results once the analysis is complete.³

To date, the FDA has worked with Ecuadorian authorities to gather information about Negasmart, the supplier of cinnamon to Austrofoods, including whether the cinnamon in the recalled products was used in other products exported to the United States. Working together with Ecuadorian authorities, the FDA has confirmed that, of Negasmart’s direct customers, only Austrofoods ships product to the US. In addition, the FDA has confirmed that Negasmart does not directly export products to the US.³

As of December 11, 2023, FDA has received 65 reports of adverse events potentially linked to recalled product. To date, confirmed complainants, or people for whom an adverse event was submitted, are under 6 years of age.³

CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health is conducting case finding efforts in collaboration with state and local health departments. CDC’s case definition for state partners includes a blood lead level of 3.5 µg/dL or higher measured within 3 months after consuming a recalled WanaBana, Schnucks, or Weis brand fruit puree product after November 2022. As of December 8, CDC has received reports of 46 confirmed cases, 68 probable cases, and 11 suspected cases for a total of 125 cases from 22 different states through their reporting structure.³

CDC and FDA have different data sources, so the counts reported by each agency will not directly correspond. In addition, some people who were affected by the contaminated product might be reflected in both the numbers reported by the FDA and the numbers reported by CDC, so the numbers should not be added together.³

FDA’s investigation is ongoing to determine the point of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses. FDA will update the advisory as information becomes available.³

The specific recalled products are the following:

• WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches – including three packs
• Schnucks-brand cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches and variety pack
• Weis-brand cinnamon applesauce pouches

To learn more about the recalled products, go here. For more information about the investigation, visit CDC’s page to review their case reporting methodology and findings.

References

1. Quaker Recalls Granola Bars and Granola Cereals Due to Possible Health Risk. FDA press release. December 15, 2023. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/quaker-recalls-granola-bars-and-granola-cereals-due-possible-health-risk

2. Salmonella (Salmonellosis). FDA. Updated March 29, 2019. https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/salmonella-salmonellosis

3. Investigation of Elevated Lead Levels: Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches (November 2023) FDA press release. December 12, 2023. https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-cinnamon-applesauce-pouches-november-2023