TOPIC: More Ground Cinnamon Products Added to FDA Public Health Alert Due to Presence of Elevated Levels of Lead
AUDIENCE: Consumer, Health Professional, Pediatrics, Gastroenterology
ISSUE: Through product testing by state programs and confirmed by the FDA, the FDA has determined that the ground cinnamon products listed in the alert 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.
The FDA has recommended that the firms voluntarily recall these products. The FDA will update this notice with the communications from firms that voluntarily agree to recall as we receive them. Please see our previous alerts on ground cinnamon products, March 6, 2024 alert, and July 25, 2024 alert, for a list of additional ground cinnamon products previously recommended for recall.
The FDA is continuing to analyze cinnamon and review sample results received from state partners who have been continuously sampling ground cinnamon at retail for elevated levels of lead. This public health alert will be updated as necessary if the FDA finds that additional products contain elevated levels of lead and that exposure to these products may be unsafe.
No illnesses or adverse events have been reported to date in association with these products.
For more information about this alert, click on the red button “Read Alert” below.
BACKGROUND: The FDA is taking the additional step in issuing a third public health alert this year for ground cinnamon to ensure the safety of ground cinnamon used in foods that are frequently consumed by babies and young children. In this third alert, the FDA is recommending recalls of nine brands of ground cinnamon products with elevated lead levels ranging from 2.03 to 7.01 parts per million (ppm) (see alert for a full list of lead levels in these products). These levels are significantly lower than the levels of lead associated with the WanaBana cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products recalled in the fall of 2023, which had between 2,270 ppm to 5,110 ppm lead in the cinnamon.
During the last year, prior to the recall of WanaBana apple puree and applesauce products containing elevated levels of lead and chromium, the FDA asked states to prioritize testing of ground cinnamon and other spices. Following the FDA’s targeted assessment of ground cinnamon products for lead and chromium and the FDA public health alert issued earlier this year, several states provided the FDA with data for samples of ground cinnamon collected through the Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM). This is a cooperative agreement with states to help investigate, monitor and remove adulterated foods from commerce and aid regulatory programs. California, Maryland, Missouri, Connecticut, and Virginia collected ground cinnamon samples through the LFFM, in addition to samples collected outside the LFFM from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, all included in this public health alert. The FDA is continuing to review sample results received from state partners who have been continuously sampling ground cinnamon at retail for elevated levels of lead and will update this alert as necessary if the FDA finds that additional products contain elevated levels of lead and that exposure to these products may be unsafe.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
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The FDA is advising consumers to throw away and not to buy these ground cinnamon products because samples of these products were found to contain elevated levels of lead. Based on the FDA’s assessment, prolonged exposure to these products may be unsafe and could contribute to elevated levels of lead in the blood.
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The FDA is advising consumers to stop using and dispose of the ground cinnamon products listed in the alert.
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Consumers should not eat, sell, or serve ground cinnamon products listed in the alert and should discard them.
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These products have a long shelf life. Consumers should check their homes and discard these products.
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If there’s suspicion that someone has been exposed to elevated levels of lead, talk to your healthcare provider. Most people have no obvious immediate symptoms of lead exposure.
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To report a complaint or adverse event (illness or serious allergic reaction), you can
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