-Opinion-
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), and Health Subcommittee Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Washington). (Kentucky), Ranking Member Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffiths (R-Va.) and Ranking Member Kathy Castor (D-Florida). ) sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf requesting clarification regarding possible intentional contamination of applesauce pouches.
background:
- On November 9, 2023, the FDA announced that WanaBana USA I remembered Three applesauce brands: Weis, WanaBana and Schnucks “due to reports of elevated lead levels.” Then, on January 5, 2024, the FDA announced that chromium was also detected in applesauce pouches and cinnamon collected from manufacturing facilities.apple sauce
- in statementJim Jones, FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, said the recent lead contamination in applesauce pouches may have been an intentional, economically motivated act by a foreign supplier of cinnamon for the recalled product. He pointed out that there is.
- As of January 8, 2024, FDA states: received 87 complaints and adverse event reports related to recalled products have been confirmed.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a total of 321 cases from 38 different states.
- Of these, 321 were report The study suggests that more than 60 children under the age of 6 have tested positive for lead poisoning in the United States.
- Children in this age group are more susceptible to This makes the Commission’s concerns about intentional adulteration of products along global supply chains particularly urgent.
Excerpts of important characters:
“The FDA has previously raised concerns about unacceptably high levels of lead in some baby foods, but recent events raise questions about whether more can be done to prevent and detect illegal food contamination. Therefore, the Committee urgently requests a detailed explanation of FDA’s suspicions regarding intentional lead contamination of applesauce pouches, specifically the steps taken to investigate and future preventative measures. Detecting and addressing intentional contamination in the food supply chain, given FDA’s limited authority regarding contaminated cinnamon from overseas, which has been identified as a potential source of this problem. It is critical to understand FDA’s strategy for
The bipartisan committee leaders requested a conference no later than February 2, 2024, and asked them to address the following topics:
- A timeline of events leading up to the discovery of lead contamination in the three applesauce brands listed above.
- How did the FDA determine that the inclusion of raw cinnamon may have been intentional?
- How is FDA working with international partners, particularly Ecuadorian authorities, to thoroughly investigate this issue?
- How is FDA working with national partners, including state health departments, to thoroughly investigate this issue?
- What steps are being taken to determine if other food products have been contaminated as a result of this supply chain vulnerability?
- How does the FDA’s process for detecting lead contamination in food differ for foods produced domestically and internationally?
- What has the FDA done since 2020 to identify lead-contaminated foods and prevent them from reaching stores?
- How many recalls has the FDA issued related to lead-contaminated foods since 2020? Of these, how many are related to contaminated products manufactured in the United States, and how many are related to contaminated products overseas? Please clarify what is related.
- What is FDA’s ability within existing authorities to strengthen its oversight and inspection processes to better detect and prevent intentional lead contamination practices along supply chains, including internationally? And what plans does the FDA have to leverage these authorities?
- What additional resources and authorities are needed to better detect and prevent intentional lead contamination along supply chains, including international supply chains?
- Will FDA commit to providing the Committee with updates on the status of its investigation, including any findings related to suspected international contamination?
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