FDA urges consumers to check cinnamon after elevated levels of lead found

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers to discard specific brands of cinnamon due to elevated levels of lead found in recent tests.

The agency is also urging companies to initiate recalls of these products from store shelves. The FDA conducted nationwide tests following incidents last year where at least 460 children fell ill due to illnesses linked to applesauce pouches contaminated with high levels of lead from cinnamon processed in Ecuador.

The recent FDA tests identified significantly lower lead levels in the tested cinnamon, ranging from 2 to 3 parts per million. In contrast, the cinnamon associated with last year’s illnesses contained much higher levels, ranging from 2,200 to 5,100 parts per million. The agency emphasized that while there are concerns about the safety of the identified products, they do not pose the same level of risk to human health as the cinnamon in the previously contaminated apple puree and applesauce products.

The FDA has specifically called for the recall of Supreme Tradition cinnamon, available exclusively at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores. Other cinnamon brands with elevated lead levels in the recent tests include La Fiesta, sold at La Superior SuperMercados, and Marcum, sold at Save A Lot. Consumers who have these products are advised to dispose of them, according to the FDA’s recommendations.