Lead-tainted applesauce pouches also contained another possible toxic substance, FDA says

Recalled cinnamon applesauce pouches that were tied to lead poisoning in hundreds of U.S. children contained an additional contaminant, federal health officials said Friday.

Besides lead, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said investigators detected “a high level” of the chemical element chromium, which can be toxic, in WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree and in cinnamon collected from the Ecuador factory where the pouches were manufactured.

The additional details come as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 287 confirmed, probable or suspected lead poisoning cases from 37 states in the outbreak first detected in October. At least one adult has reported high blood lead levels after eating the lead-tainted pouches, but the median age of those sickened is 1, the FDA said.