The US Food and Drug Administration, through product testing, has determined that ground cinnamon products contain elevated levels of lead and that prolonged exposure to them may be unsafe. The FDA has ordered manufacturers to recall these products and advised consumers who have them at home to dispose of them.
The brands include La Fiesta, lot 25033, sold at La Superior SuperMercados, Marcum, best by 10/16/25 and 4/06/25, sold at Save a Lot. Also, MTCI, sold at SF Supermarket and Swad, lot KX21223, sold at Patel Brothers.
Also, they include Supreme Tradition, best buy dates from 4/25 through 9/25, and are sold at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar. Lastly, El Chillar, F275EX1026, and D300EX1024, sold at La Joya Morelense in Baltimore, Maryland.
What To Do if You Still Have It
The FDA has advised those who still have these products to stop using and dispose of them. Consumers should not eat, sell, or serve ground cinnamon products listed above and should. While these products have a long shelf life, the FDA warns they harm consumers.
Consumers should check their homes and dispose of these products. If there’s suspicion that someone has been exposed to elevated levels of lead, talk to your healthcare provider. Notably, most people have no obvious immediate symptoms of lead exposure.
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Reasons Why You Should Avoid These Products
According to the FDA, the products listed above are dangerous for consumption. Samples of these products were found to contain a high level of lead, which poses a risk to consumers. Based on the FDA assessment, prolonged exposure to these products may be unsafe and could contribute to lead levels in the blood.
Long-term exposure to elevated levels of lead in the diet could contribute to adverse health effects. This is particularly true for the portion of the population that may already have elevated blood lead levels from other exposures to lead. Fortunately, the agency has not reported any illnesses or adverse events in connection with these products.
The FDA advises that anyone exposed to lead should talk to a healthcare provider. Removing ground cinnamon products from the market will prevent them from contributing elevated amounts of lead to children’s diets.
Background to the Problem
A recall of cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products occurred around October 2023. Authorities linked the elevated lead levels to the cinnamon in those products, raising concern for lead toxicity in children. The FDA launched a targeted survey of ground cinnamon products from discount retail stores and analyzed the samples for lead and chromium.
Based on the survey results, the FDA recommends that ground cinnamon be recalled from six distributors. According to the result, the products of these distributors had elevated lead levels ranging from 2.03 to 3.4 parts per million (ppm).
These levels are significantly lower than the lead found in the ground cinnamon from Ecuador supplied by Negasmart to Austrofoods. The agency claims that the cinnamon had between 2,270 ppm and 5,110 ppm. Notably, Austrofoods is the manufacturer of the apple puree and applesauce products.
Consequently, some states tested cinnamon samples through the Laboratory Flexible Funding Model. This is a cooperative agreement with states to help investigate and remove adulterated foods from commerce and aid regulatory programs. The Maryland and Missouri Departments of Health collected cinnamon samples included in this safety alert.
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FDA Takes Actions and Advise To Help Protect Against the Effects of the Lead
The FDA continues to work with manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to remove unsafe products from the market and to investigate the sources of lead contamination as appropriate.
The agency sent a letter to all cinnamon manufacturers, processors, distributors, and facility operators in the US. The FDA reminded them of the requirement to implement controls to prevent contamination from potential chemical hazards in food, including in-ground cinnamon products.
FDA Suggests Good Nutritional Guidelines
Following the investigation, the FDA recommended good nutrition. Furthermore, the agency advised meeting the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines Americans, saying it can protect against the health effects of exposure to lead.
Eating various healthy foods can reduce an individual’s likelihood of being exposed to the same contaminant from the same food many times. Also, it helps provide the range of nutrients needed for health for children’s healthy development.
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