The agency has advised consumers to stop using the contaminated products and dispose of them.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued multiple alerts this year about high lead levels in several types of ground cinnamon sold at certain discount and specialty stores in several states.
The agency said on
Tuesday that lead levels were found between 2.03 and 7.01 parts per million (ppm) in these spice brands: ALB Flavor, Shahzada, Compania Indillor Orientale, Spice Class, and La Frontera.
Batches of brands from a March 6
alert were added to this week’s advisory: El Chilar, Marcum, SWAD, and Supreme Tradition.
“We appreciate the continued work of our state partners to help us monitor lead in ground cinnamon in the market,” Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones said in a
news release.
“Reducing dietary exposure to lead and other heavy metals among babies and young children is one of the top priorities of the human foods program and something we will continue to work on through the Closer to Zero initiative.”
Last week, the FDA issued a separate
warning about El Servidor cinnamon after tests showed it contained 20 ppm of lead.
“The FDA has recommended that the firms voluntarily recall these products,” the agency said.
Consumers are advised to stop using and to throw away affected ground cinnamon products sold at popular stores including Dollar Tree, Patel Brothers, Save-A-Lot, and Eurogrocery stores. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the alerts, the FDA said.
Currently, there is no FDA limit for heavy metals in spices. However, the agency has set a limit of 1 ppm of lead in candy, which is likely to be eaten by children. The American Spice Trade Association, an industry trade group, calls for no more than 2 parts per million of lead in bark spices such as cinnamon.
Many foods, including spices, contain lead from natural sources such as soil and water, said Karen Everstine, technical director for FoodchainID, a company that tracks food supply chains.
Lead can also accumulate in spices from other environmental sources, such as pollution. Some lead in spices may come from manufacturing, storage, or shipping processes. In some cases, spices have been mixed with substances, including lead, to boost color or weight, increasing the product’s value.
Lead exposure in babies and children can cause serious harm including damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning and behavior problems, and hearing and speech problems, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to negatively affect a child’s health,” says the CDC.
A blood test can determine whether you or your child has been exposed to lead.
Beginning in October 2023, the FDA recalled several brands of cinnamon-flavored applesauce products for elevated lead levels.
The agency has an ongoing investigation to determine whether the products were contaminated on purpose.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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