Ecuadorian authorities have identified the probable origin of the polluted ground cinnamon that was used in fruit pouches linked to over 400 possible incidents of lead poisoning in American children, according to a statement from the Food and Drug Administration issued on Tuesday.

ARCSA, the regulatory agency in Ecuador, reported that Carlos Aguilera, a company that processes cinnamon, provided the spice used in WanaBana and other applesauce pouches sent to the U.S. However, the FDA found that the cinnamon, which had been sent to a different supplier named Negasmart, was contaminated with excessive amounts of lead and chromium. According to ARCSA, Carlos Aguilera is currently not in operation.

The cinnamon sticks that were used in the products were imported from Sri Lanka without being processed. After conducting tests, ARCSA informed the FDA that there was no lead contamination present in the sticks. The investigation by the agency in Ecuador is still ongoing.

The FDA has restricted jurisdiction over overseas suppliers of ingredients if they do not directly ship their products to the United States. According to officials, since only the completed pouches were sent to the U.S. and not the cinnamon itself, the agency is unable to directly intervene against Negasmart or Carlos Aguilera.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been informed of 413 instances of possible, likely, or verified cases of lead poisoning, primarily affecting young children, across 43 states.

___

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides support to the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is responsible for all content.