HICKORY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A North Carolina family is suing a food manufacturer and Dollar Tree, claiming their children were exposed to high levels of lead for months.
“They bought this product that they thought was going to be a healthy, nutritious and an affordable snack for their children, and it ended up giving them lead poisoning,” says Nicholas Williams, a lead attorney in the case.
The attorney representing the family from Hickory says issues first appeared this past summer. The family took their one- and three-year-olds for routine blood work. Williams said test results showed elevated levels of lead in their systems.
It wasn’t until months later, when the family did an elimination diet, that their attorney says they found out the source of the lead exposure was WanaBana fruit pouches sold at Dollar Tree.
At that point, Williams says the children’s lead levels had doubled.
“That’s terrifying. And it raises bigger questions as to the quality of our food supply, the quality of food specifically marketed towards children and babies and I think there needs to be continued discovery of that not only through our lawsuit but also with our public health agencies, with congressional actions, so we will see how that develops,” Williams said.
The attorney says his client’s case is one of the first three cases in North Carolina to prompt WanaBana’s voluntary recall in October.
A disclaimer remains on the company’s website.
Since the recall, the FDA has been investigating what led to the contamination and if it was done purposefully.
In the 59-page lawsuit, the family is demanding a jury trial and is suing WanaBana and Dollar Tree for current and future medical costs as well as punitive damages.
“So, this is what I think as a classic example of a company prioritizing economic profits over the safety and well-being of its consumers,” Williams said.
Queen City News reached out to WanaBana for a statement and did not hear back by deadline.
A Dollar Tree spokesperson released the following:
“We are aware of the lawsuit you’ve referenced and cannot comment on the pending litigation. Know that we take the situation very seriously and are committed to the safety and integrity of the products we sell. In response to WanaBana’s Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouch voluntary recall announcement, Dollar Tree locked its registers to prevent sales and instructed stores to remove the product from the shelves and destroy the affected packages according to FDA guidelines. We enforced these directives, including through audits by field teams, utilization of a third party to confirm the effectiveness of the product removal and notification signage in our stores. We removed the product from shelves, destroyed it according to the recall guidance and have kept the register lock in place. We were also in regular contact with the FDA.” – Dollar Tree spokesperson.
– Dollar Tree
