Ron Simon & Associates, Gomez Trial Attorneys File Lawsuit Tied to Applesauce Lead Poisoning Outbreak

MIAMI — The national food safety law firm of Ron Simon & Associates and the Gomez Trial Attorneys filed the first lawsuit in the lead poisoning outbreak linked to WanaBana LLC, a company that manufactures, imports and distributes Ecuadorian applesauce in pouches. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the product contains approximately 200 times the acceptable action level for lead, measuring at 21.8 parts per million.

The lawsuit was filed in Orange County, Fla., on behalf of Mustafa Al-Khaled and his minor son. According to Simon, who filed the lawsuit, “Any child who consumed WanaBana applesauce pouches should be taken to be tested. Routine blood work can look for elevations in lead poisoning. Early detection and treatment are vital to preventing any long-term illness or side effects. We now represent a number of these children and their families and are filing this WanaBana applesauce lead poisoning lawsuit on behalf of one of them so we can begin to investigate how this happened and what can be done to prevent this from happening again.”

As of Nov. 22, there have been 52 reports of adverse events potentially linked to recalled product submitted to FDA. To date, confirmed complainants are less than 1 to 4 years of age.

FDA said it is aware that recalled WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Puree is still on the shelves at several Dollar Tree stores in multiple states, and the organization is working to ensure an effective recall.

Ron Simon & Associates has established a Lead Poisoning Claim Center to assist victims in the outbreak. It can be reached at 1-888-335-4901, https://www.ronsimonassociates.com/ or leadfoodpoisoning.com.

A copy of the lawsuit is available upon request.