Why You Can Trust CNET FDA Cinnamon Warning: Stop Using These Spice Products
Products sold at stores such as Dollar Tree and Family Dollar may contain unsafe levels of lead. The warning follows a wider investigation into lead in cinnamon.
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The US Food and Drug Administration this week warned consumers not to use six brands of ground cinnamon that contain "elevated" levels of lead, which may cause health problems after long-term exposure.
Brands of ground cinnamon included in the FDA's warning this week include La Fiesta, Marcum, MK, Swad, Supreme Tradition and El Chilar. The products were sold at a handful of discount stores, including Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Save A Lot.
If you recognize one of the brands, or you use cinnamon in general, check your pantry and compare your container of cinnamon with the lot numbers and details provided by the FDA. If you have one, stop using it. The FDA noted that cinnamon products have a long shelf-life.
Shortly after the FDA posted its alert, some brands supplying cinnamon products named by the FDA started recalling products. Colonna Brothers, which supplies cinnamon to Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Save A Lot issued a voluntary recall of some of its ground cinnamon. El Chilar, which distributes to stores in Maryland, also recalled some ground cinnamon. Raja foods, which sells cinnamon under the name Swad throughout the US, recalled its potentially contaminated products.
A spokesperson for Dollar Tree Inc, which owns Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, told CNET in a statement that following the recall the company has "removed all Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon from Dollar Tree and Family Dollar store shelves nationwide." Customers should either discard it immediately or return it to a store for a refund, the spokesperson added.
No "adverse events" -- FDA-speak for getting sick or having an allergic reaction -- have been reported from the ground cinnamon named by the FDA. However, the latest update from the agency comes after an investigation began last year into unsafe levels of lead in cinnamon in certain applesauce products.
What is going on with apple cinnamon products?
The FDA said it began testing cinnamon products sold at discount retail stores following last year's discovery that some cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products were found to contain lead chromate, resulting in a recall of cinnamon applesauce pouches late last year. The apple sauce pouch recall was especially concerning because these are popular foods among children, who are more susceptible to lead toxicity.
The FDA noted that the levels of lead associated with its most recent warning of ground cinnamon sold at discount stores are "significantly lower" than the levels of lead associated with the cinnamon in its investigation involving the applesauce products, which remains ongoing and focused on cinnamon supply from Ecuador.
The health agency said this week it will "continue to work with manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to remove unsafe products from the market, and to further investigate the sources of the lead contamination as appropriate."
These applesauce pouches are not involved in the FDA's most recent alert over ground cinnamon products, but they were recalled late last year over lead contamination concerns.
What to do if you think you've consumed lead
The FDA reiterated in its warning this week that it's long-term exposure to lead -- meaning over months or years -- that may contribute to health problems. If you're concerned, the agency recommends contacting your doctor. The FDA also notes that prioritizing good nutrition can help protect against health effects associated with lead exposure.
In information provided for the separate cinnamon applesauce pouch investigation, last updated in February, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that you should contact your health care provider about a potential blood test if you or your child may have been exposed to lead.