High Levels of Lead Detected in 12 Cinnamon, Spice Brands: Consumer Reports

Stick and ground cinnamon in a file photo. Larry Crowe/AP Photo

High levels of lead were found in 12 brands of cinnamon powder and multi-spice blends tested by Consumer Reports, the nonprofit organization said on Sept. 12.

Food safety scientists from the consumer organization tested 36 ground cinnamon products and spice blends containing cinnamon, such as garam masala and five-spice powder, according to the report.

The products were purchased from 17 stores in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, as well as online.

According to Consumer Reports, 12 of the 36 products contained levels of lead above one part per million (ppm), which the organization said is the threshold to trigger a recall in New York state, the only U.S. state that regulates heavy metals in spices.

The organization found the highest level of lead in Paras cinnamon powder (3.52 ppm) and EGN cinnamon powder (2.91 ppm).

That was followed by Mimi’s Products ground cinnamon (2.03 ppm), ShopRite Bowl & Basket ground cinnamon (1.82 ppm), Rani Brand ground cinnamon (1.39 ppm), Zara Foods cinnamon powder (1.27 ppm), Three Rivers cinnamon stick powder (1.26 ppm), Yu Yee Brand five spice powder (1.25 ppm), BaiLiFeng five spice powder (1.15 ppm), Spicy King five spices powder (1.05 ppm), Badia cinnamon powder (1.03 ppm) and Deep cinnamon powder (1.02 ppm).

According to Consumer Reports, just a quarter teaspoon of any of those products has more lead than you should consume in an entire day.

“Even small amounts of lead pose a risk because, over time, it can accumulate in the body and remain there for years, seriously harming health,” James Rogers, director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports, said.

Rogers suggested that consumers who have any of those 12 products should throw them away.

‘Okay to Use’

Consumer Reports said that 18 of the 36 products tested were “okay to use,” at recommended daily usage ranging from a quarter of a teaspoon to 1 teaspoon.

These were: Happy Belly (0.87 ppm), Kirkland Signature (0.80 ppm), Great Value (0.79 ppm), Penzeys (0.78 ppm), Ziyad Brand (0.73 ppm), Trader Joe’s (0.69 ppm), The Spice Lab (0.60 ppm), Good & Gather (0.56 ppm), Morton & Bassett San Francisco (0.55 ppm), Penzeys Vietnamese Cinnamon (.55 ppm), Swad Garam Masala Powder (0.40 ppm), Penzeys Ground Cinnamon (0.37 ppm), Wei-Chuan Five Spice Powder (0.36 ppm), Natural Plus Green Five Spices Powder (0.35 ppm), Simply Organic Cinnamon (0.28 ppm), Shan Garam Masala Powder (0.28 ppm), Abido Spices 7 Mixed Spices (0.23 ppm), and McCormick Cinnamon (0.23 ppm).

‘Best to Use’

The six brands that posed the lowest risk in its testing were Sadaf Seven Spice (0.15 ppm), 365 Whole Foods Market Ground Cinnamon (0.12 ppm), Loisa Organic Cinnamon (0.04 ppm), Morton & Bassett San Francisco Organic Ground Cinnamon (0.04 ppm), and 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Ground Cinnamon (0.04 ppm). Consumer Reports said these products were “best to use,” with recommended daily usage ranging from 1 1/2 to 16 teaspoons.

Lead Poisoning

Lead is toxic and there is no safe level of exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High levels of lead can lead to devastating effects on childhood development, behavior, and academic achievement.

Children from low-income households and those who live in housing built before 1978, when lead in paint was banned, are at the greatest risk of lead exposure, the health agency said.

Symptoms of lead poisoning in adults include joint and muscle pain, high blood pressure, abdominal pain, mood disorders, miscarriage or stillbirth, and difficulties with concentration or memory, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Nearly one year ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled thousands of cinnamon applesauce products across the country that it said were contaminated with lead.

In July, the agency issued a new warning after ground cinnamon by the brand El Servidor was found to contain elevated levels of lead.

Paras and EGN told Consumer Reports they would stop selling their cinnamon powder products and had asked stores to remove them.

McCormick told Consumer Reports that it monitors “environmental conditions that may increase the natural occurrence of heavy metals,” while Penzeys said it grinds its own spices and that the raw material is tested before grinding.

Simply Organic said that it has adopted New York state’s limits and conducts “comprehensive in-house inspections and additional product testing for every shipment of incoming material.”

Deep and Yu Yee Brand both said they “tested their product or relied on tests from their suppliers.”

A spokesperson for The Spice Lab told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement: “We are a premium spice company, we only buy tested spices and require less than one ppm in cinnamon.”

BaiLiFeng, Mimi’s Products, and Spicy King could not be reached for comment.

This report was updated with comments from The Spice Lab.