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Freeze-dried blueberries sold by major stores like Walmart and Amazon are being recalled because they contain unsafe levels of lead.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked that two batches of Natierra blueberries — sold for $6.50 each — be removed from shelves.
It says anyone who has the blueberries shouldn't eat them, but should instead throw them away or return them to stores for a refund.
BrandStorm Inc, which produces the blueberries, says no one has become sick or been hospitalized by them so far.
Lead is generally safe in small amounts, but when it builds up in the blood it can cause stomach pain, nausea and vomiting.
Children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can damage their nervous system and lead to long-term developmental problems.
The Food and Drug Administration is recalling two lots of freeze-dried Natierra blueberries (pictured above). It advises customers to throw away the blueberries because they contain high levels of lead
Customers can identify whether they have one of the recalled blueberry packs by looking at the batch number on the bottom right of the packaging
The FDA found high levels of lead in blueberries during routine testing at a lab in Maryland.
A preliminary investigation found that lead was not present when the blueberries were harvested in the original report.
But they were grown in Lithuania, a European country that borders Russia, which the FDA said required "aggressive monitoring" of lead levels.
Supermarkets like Walmart, Kroger, Target and Amazon all sell the blueberries.
The FDA has not disclosed how much lead was found in the batch of Natierra blueberries.
But its guidelines say no food sold in the U.S. should have lead levels higher than 0.5 micrograms per deciliter.
This is based on calculations for the amount of lead someone can consume without suffering ill effects.
Lead is toxic to humans at high concentrations and can affect people of all ages and health conditions, the FDA says.
But experts warn that even repeated exposures at low levels can be dangerous because the heavy metal can build up in the body over time.
In children it can cause learning difficulties, behavioral problems and a lowered IQ, studies suggest.
But in adults, it can lead to kidney problems, high blood pressure and also neurological problems.