The FDA testing of the recalled products and the cinnamon collected from the Austrofoods facility found chromium. Therefore, people who eat the product, especially those with high lead levels, may have been exposed to chromium. Due to limitations in available testing methods, the FDA was not able to definitively determine the form of chromium in the cinnamon apple puree sample (i.e., whether the chromium present is chromium (III) or chromium (VI)). The lead-to-chromium ratio in the cinnamon apple puree sample is consistent with that of lead chromate (PbCrO4) (which contains chromium (VI)), but this is not a definitive indicator that lead chromate or chromium (VI) (the more toxic form of chromium) was present. After additional analysis of both recalled cinnamon apple products and the cinnamon collected from the manufacturer in Ecuador, the FDA has determined that, in addition to lead, the cinnamon and recalled products also contained a high level of chromium. The level of chromium detected in the two samples of cinnamon yielded 1201 and 531 parts per million (ppm). Because of the limited amount of cinnamon used in the finished product, the level of chromium detected in the reanalysis of FDA samples of the recalled WanaBana Cinnamon Apple Puree product yielded 0.590 and 0.566 ppm. FDA also tested arsenic and cadmium, but those elements were not detected above trace levels. FDA’s investigation is ongoing to determine the point of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-cinnamon-applesauce-pouches-november-2023?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
