What You Need To Know About The Lead-Tainted Fruit That Was Just Recalled

If it seems like there has been an increase in food recalls lately, we are feeling it, too. It's hard to keep up. There was a nationwide ice cream recall because containers of Van Leeuwen's Oat Milk Brown Sugar Chunk flavor had an unlisted tree nut ingredient. Grocery store shelves were left without jars of Jif Peanut Butter due to possible Salmonella contamination. And even a supermarket version of Panera soup was recalled. It's a lot to have to think about when you are trying to keep your family safe and healthy. 

Well, it seems fruit has become the latest victim of product recalls, and, per the Food & Drug Administration, this time it has hit Natierra Organic Freeze-Dried Blueberries. In keeping with its stated "mission to make better-for-you snacks that positively impact people's lives," per the Natierra website, the brand sells an array of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, seasonings, smoothie products, and chocolate-covered fruit. 

According to the FDA announcement, this is a voluntary recall due to possible lead contamination that exceeds the FDA's recommended limit. It affects those packages that are part o of lots # 2021363-1 and 2022026-1. Here's what you need to know if you have any packages of Natierra Organic Freeze-Dried Blueberries in your pantry.

The FDA announcement notes that the presence of lead was discovered after testing this product at a lab in Maryland. It shares that children are most at risk of being poisoned by lead-contaminated foods. Extended exposure to the metal – even for just a few weeks – can have serious, lasting repercussions. Learning a d and development could be impacted. Others could be quite serious and could include: "abdominal pain, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and bloody or decreased urinary output."

Further complicating matters, according to Harvard University's Science in the News blog, our bodies tend to mistake lead for calcium when ingested. That allows it to gain access to the brain and drastically alter the way a person's neurons behave. In addition to its effects on the nervous system, lead has been associated with a higher likelihood of heart disease. If you have pouches of Natierra Organic Blueberries that belong to the impacted batches, the FDA recommends that you either throw them out or return this product to the store where you purchased it for a refund.