Families Affected By WanaBana USA’s Contaminated Applesauce Pouches May Be Entitled to Financial Compensation

If your child has been diagnosed with lead toxicity after consuming a recalled WanaBana applesauce pouch, we would be happy to talk with you about your potential legal options. WanaBana —the company that sells WanaBana cinnamon applesauce pouches at retailers including Dollar Tree, Sam’s Club, and Amazon —announced a nationwide recall on November 9, 2023, and it is currently facing lawsuits alleging personal injuries suffered by children who consumed the recalled products, as well as class action lawsuits related to its recalled pouches.

Eligible families may be able to seek just compensation for their children’s medical expenses and other losses. If you have questions about your family’s legal rights, you should speak with a WanaBana recall attorney as soon as possible. Searcy Denney partner Jack Scarola and attorney Katherine Kiziah are representing individuals and serving as co-counsel in the class action against WanaBana USA, and we are available to represent families nationwide.

Are You Eligible to Join the WanaBana Lead Poisoning Lawsuit?

On October 28, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had been made aware of four children in North Carolina being diagnosed with elevated levels of lead in their blood. An investigation revealed WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches as a potential source of the children’s exposure, and subsequent testing concerned “extremely high concentrations of lead” in WanaBana applesauce pouches.

WanaBana USA announced a voluntary recall less than two weeks later, on November 9, 2023. In its recall notice, WanaBana USA acknowledged that “[p]rotecting children from exposure to lead is important to lifelong good health” and also acknowledged that exposure through ingestion and other means can cause weight loss, irritability, fatigue, abdominal discomfort, difficulty concentrating and other potentially serious effects. The pouches that are subject to the recall include:

• WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree 2.5oz pouches
• Schnucks Apple Sauce 90g pouches
• Weis Cinnamon Apple Sauce 90g pouches

According to WanaBana USA and the FDA, contaminated products were sold by retailers including (but not limited to):

• Amazon
• Dollar Tree
• Eatwell Markets
• Sam’s Club
• Schnucks Grocery Stores
• Weis Grocery Stores

On November 13, 2023, the FDA announced that it had received a total of 22 reports of illnesses potentially linked to recalled WanaBana, Schnucks and Weis applesauce pouches. This number increased to 34 three days later and surpassed 50 by November 22, 2023. As awareness of the lead-related risks associated with WanaBana USA’s recalled applesauce pouches continues to grow, we expect this number to grow significantly throughout 2024.

If your child has been diagnosed with a Wanabana lead poisoning injury or illness, developmental disability or other health condition linked to lead toxicity, should you file a claim against WanaBana USA?

All parents who have been affected by WanaBana USA’s contaminated applesauce pouches should speak with an attorney about their legal rights. The costs of lead contamination can be substantial—and they can be lifelong in some cases. If your family is entitled to financial compensation from WanaBana USA, speaking with an attorney will be the first step on the road to financial recovery. Talking to a WanaBana recall lawyer costs nothing and class action plaintiffs do not have to pay any out-of-pocket costs or fees.

What Should You Do if Your Child Has Been Diagnosed with Lead Contamination?

If your child has been diagnosed with lead contamination after consuming a WanaBana, Schnucks or Weis applesauce pouch, there are some steps you will want to take promptly. If you have concerns about your child’s health and have not yet obtained a diagnosis, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Following a diagnosis, parents should:

• Keep Any Unopened Applesauce Pouches Out of Reach – To prove that your family is entitled to financial compensation, you will need evidence that you purchased WanaBana USA’s contaminated applesauce pouches. With this in mind, you should keep any unopened pouches—but be sure to keep them out of your children’s reach.
• Keep Any Used Pouches that You Still Have – If you have any discarded applesauce pouches that haven’t yet been picked up with your trash or recycling, you should keep these as well. If you don’t have any, that’s okay.
• Keep Any Account Statements or Receipts – If you have receipts from purchasing WanaBana, Schnucks or Weis applesauce packets at a grocery store or dollar store, keep your receipts to document your purchase. If you bought your children pouches on Amazon, print a copy of your order history. Credit card and debit card account statements showing your purchases will be helpful as well.
• Collect Your Child’s Medical Records – Along with evidence that you purchased WanaBana applesauce pouches, you will also need evidence of your child’s diagnosis and treatment costs. While your attorney can assist with obtaining copies of your child’s medical records if necessary, if you have any of your child’s medical records, you should go ahead and collect these as well.
• Continue to Document Your Family’s Claim Against WanaBana USA – As you move forward, you should get in the habit of keeping records and taking notes. As you take your child to more doctor’s appointments, place your child’s medical records and your receipts in a file for safekeeping. As you notice different ways that your child’s medical condition impacts his or her life, take notes so that you can discuss these impacts with your attorney.

Along with these preliminary steps, your attorney will be able to walk you through the additional steps you need to take to assert your family’s legal rights. The sooner you contact an attorney, the sooner you can get the advice you need. If you aren’t sure whether you have a claim, that’s completely fine—most parents simply won’t have a way of knowing whether they can join a class action lawsuit until they speak with an attorney about their family’s circumstances one-on-one.

Speak with a WanaBana Recall Attorney About Your Family’s Legal Rights

If you would like to know more about joining the WanaBana contaminated applesauce pouch class action lawsuit, we encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. To speak with an attorney at Searcy Denney about your family’s legal rights in confidence, please call 800-780-8607 or tell us how we can help online today.