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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a warning letter to Dollar Tree, Inc. last week after an investigation found the company failed to remove baby food containing high levels of lead and chromium, 45 days after it was notified of its recall. .
WanaBana issued a voluntary recall of its Apple Cinnamon Mash pouches on October 29, 2023, after an investigation found the product contained “extremely high concentrations of lead,” according to the FDA.
Children in 44 states had probable or confirmed cases of elevated blood lead levels after eating bags of apples marketed to toddlers, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The spread was declared complete in April.
CINNAMON PRODUCTS SOLD AT DOLLAR TREE, FAMILY DOLLAR HAS ELEVATED LEAD LEVELS, FDA SAYS
WanaBana recalled its bags of cinnamon fruit puree in October 2023, although Dollar Tree did not remove the product from all of its shelves until December, according to the FDA. (Photo: FDA)
While WanaBana issued the voluntary recall on October 29, Dollar Tree was notified in writing of the recall the same day because they sold the recalled product.
“In the weeks and months that followed, state and local partners in many states continued to report the presence of recalled WanaBana pouches on Dollar Tree store shelves with FDA seeking and working with partners to see such product removed or destroyed when be found,” FDA. Dollar Tree said in its letter.
As a result, the FDA initiated a Recall Audit Control (RAC) at Dollar Tree stores and it was determined that between November 10 and December 19, Dollar Tree still had WanaBana products on the shelves.
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Dollar Tree was warned by the FDA for failing to remove WanaBana cinnamon fruit puree pouches after a voluntary recall of the products. (Fox News Digital)
The FDA explained in its letter that it held multiple meetings with Dollar Tree to discuss the recall, during which the company said it would recall the product.
The letter claims Dollar Tree programmed the cash registers to prevent the item from being sold, but the FDA says that wasn’t enough.
In fact, one consumer filed a complaint noting that they were shopping with their child at a Dollar Tree store in Kitsap County, Washington, after the recall and let their child consume a bag of fruit from the front shelf to pay you. When the customer went to pay, he was not allowed to pay for the product due to the recall.
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A Dollar Tree store in Streator, Illinois, United States, on October 15, 2022. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“Despite numerous efforts to bring this serious matter to your attention, your firm continued to offer counterfeit pouches of apple cinnamon fruit puree on store shelves, leaving children at risk of exposure to these counterfeit products,” he wrote. FDA.
Now, the FDA is ordering Dollar Tree to provide in writing within 15 days, the specific steps the company has taken to address any violations or face legal action.
A Dollar Tree spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the company is committed to selling quality food and products, maintaining a safe environment for associates and customers, and complying with all laws and regulations.
The company is now under new management, which, the spokesperson explained, has set Dollar Tree on a journey that includes taking steps to improve and strengthen its compliance and security programs. This also includes executing product recalls quickly and effectively, the spokesperson said.
“We are building and increasing our efforts to prevent and detect breaches, and when a compliance issue occurs, we work to remediate it promptly and fully,” the spokesperson said.
As for the recalled product, Dollar Tree said it took immediate action in October 2023 to execute a recall of the WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Mash pouch once it was notified of the recall.
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“We continue to cooperate with the FDA on this matter,” the spokesperson said.
FOX Business reached out to WanaBana for comment, but did not receive a response.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.