FDA Finds More Ground Cinnamon Contaminated With Lead

The FDA has found more ground cinnamon contaminated with lead and is continuing to review sample results received from state partners. And that agency has collected the recalled ground cinnamon products in one place; bookmark this page and refer back to it whenever you need to buy cinnamon.

State partners have been continuously sampling ground cinnamon from retail establishments for elevated lead levels. You can see the list of recalled products at the FDA web site.

Please look at that list carefully. If you did buy any of those brands of cinnamon, do not eat them and do not use them in cooking. These products have a long shelf life, so check your home even if you have not purchased cinnamon lately.

If you think that anyone your family has been exposed to lead through these cinnamon products, contact your doctor about getting blood lead levels tested. Most people have no obvious immediate symptoms of lead exposure.

There is no safe level of lead exposure. Over time, perhaps as little as weeks or months, serious health problems can be caused by lead exposure, including reduced IQ in children. The level of damage usually depends on the time of exposure, amount of lead, and the body weight of the patient.

These ground cinnamon products have elevated lead levels that range from 2.03 to 7.01 parts per million (ppm). These levels are “significantly lower” than the levels of lead associated with the WanaBana Cinnamon Apple Puree products recalled in the fall of 2023. Those items had between 2,270 ppm to 5,110 ppm lead.

The FDA is also continuing its Toxic Elements monitoring program, which includes testing a variety of colored spices for sale in the United States. And the government wants to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require industry to conduct testing of final products, including those usually eaten by infants and young children, for contaminants.