FDA issues another warning about cinnamon with elevated levels of lead

The FDA has expended an alert about cinnamon products to include “Super Brand” cinnamon because it has been found to have elevated levels of lead.

The samples were collected by the Arkansas Department of Health at a retail establishment and reviewed by the Food and Drug Agency. Exposure to this product may be unsafe, according to the FDA.

The warning about Super Brand cinnamon comes after a number of cinnamon products have been recalled because of high levels of lead. Through product testing by state programs and confirmed by the FDA, the agency has determined that the ground cinnamon products listed in the table here contain elevated levels of lead and that exposure to these products may be unsafe. The FDA is advising consumers to throw away and not to buy these ground cinnamon products.

Alerts on ground cinnamon products on March 6, 2024 alert, and July 25, 2024 alert list additional ground cinnamon products previously recommended for recall.

Concern about lead levels in cinnamon products and foods containing cinnamon was raised in fall 2023 when it was found that the popular WanaBana brand children’s applesauce pouches had extremely high levels of lead contamination. More than 250 children from 43 states had elevated levels of lead after consuming the product.

WanaBana initiated a recall for its cinnamon applesauce pouches, as did Schnucks and Weis. The WanaBana cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products, recalled in the fall of 2023, had between 2,270 ppm to 5,110 ppm lead in the cinnamon.

The potential for adverse health effects from consuming food contaminated with lead vary depending on the level of lead in the food; age of the consumer; length, amount, and frequency of exposure to lead in the food; and other exposures to different sources of lead. For example, the very young are particularly vulnerable to the potential harmful effects from lead exposure because of their smaller body sizes and rapid metabolism and growth. High levels of exposure to lead in utero, infancy, and early childhood can lead to neurological effects such as learning disabilities, behavior difficulties, and lowered IQ.

“The FDA continues to work with states to test cinnamon sold directly to consumers at retail and to test cinnamon at import. The FDA will continue our activities at import to prevent unsafe cinnamon from reaching consumers in the U.S., including adding firms and products to import alert where appropriate, according to the expanded alert posted on Nov. 1.

“For ingredient suppliers and final products that contain cinnamon, the FDA advises both domestic and foreign food suppliers to voluntarily test their products to ensure safety. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the manufacturers and the importers to ensure the safety of the products that enter into the U.S. market. In March 2024, the FDA sent a letter to cinnamon manufacturers, processors, distributors and facility operators in the U.S. reminding them of the requirement to implement controls to prevent contamination from potential chemical hazards in food, including in ground cinnamon products.”

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