Lead Could Be Lurking in Your Cinnamon

Key Takeaways

• A new investigation by Consumer Reports found high lead levels in multiple brands of cinnamon and five spice powders.
• Lead is dangerous for both children and adults, and can contribute to high blood pressure, kidney and brain damage, infertility, and impotence.
• Cinnamon products that exceed safe lead levels should be thrown away.

A new investigation by the nonprofit Consumer Reports has found that some cinnamon powders may contain unhealthy amounts of lead.

Food safety scientists with Consumers Reports recently tested 36 ground cinnamon items and spice blends made with cinnamon, such as garam masala and five-spice powder, and found that one-third contained lead levels so high that "you should never use them."

James Rogers, PhD, Consumer Reports' director of food safety research and testing, stresses that as little as ¼ teaspoon of these products exceeds the quantity anyone should ingest in a single day.

"Even small amounts pose a risk because lead can accumulate in the body and there can be multiple sources in your diet, so it adds up," he says.

The findings come after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a series of alerts over several months urging people to dispose of or stop using 17 specific ground cinnamon products due to excessive lead content.

Last fall, more than 500 people - many of them children - were sickened by extremely high concentrations of the metal in three brands of cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches, which led to a massive recall of these items.

How Lead Harms the Body

Lead diffuses into soft tissues such as the kidneys, brain, and liver and then is distributed to bones, teeth and hair as lead phosphate. This heavy metal generates free radicals, compounds that lead to so-called oxidative stress and cell damage.

Heightened amounts of lead in the body can cause high blood pressure, kidney and brain damage, infertility, and impotence.

"Children and pregnant women should particularly limit lead exposure, given the long-term irreversible cognitive deficits caused," says Jenna Forsyth, PhD, a research scientist with Stanford University's King Center for Global Development , who works on an initiative to reduce lead exposure in Bangladesh. "However, anyone can be adversely affected by excessive lead intake, as lead is linked to adverse health outcomes for children and adults, including IQ loss, renal [kidney] failure, and cardiovascular disease."

Chronic exposure can cause lead to build up in the body; the longer the exposure, the more difficult it is for your body to get rid of lead.

Toss the Riskiest Products

Twelve ground cinnamon powders and spice blends tested by Consumer Reports had lead levels above 1 part per million, a level that New York state uses to indicate products that should be recalled.

Consumer Reports urges shoppers to check their pantry and throw out any cinnamon products from the following brands that they and the FDA identified as having too much lead:

• Paras Cinnamon Powder
• EGN Cinnamon Powder
• Mimi's Products Ground Cinnamon
• Bowl & Basket Ground Cinnamon
• Rani Brand Ground Cinnamon
• Zara Foods Cinnamon Powder
• Three Rivers Cinnamon Stick Powder
• Yu Yee Brand Five Spice Powder
• BaiLiFeng Five Spice Powder
• Spicy King Five Spices Powder
• Badia Cinnamon Powder
• Deep Cinnamon Powder

Scientists also recommended several brands with low lead levels that are "okay to use" and six choices with very low levels that are "best to use." Those rated "best" are:

• Sadaf Seven Spice
• 365 Whole Foods Market Ground Cinnamon
• Loisa Organic Cinnamon
• Morton & Bassett San Francisco 100% Ground Cinnamon
• Sadaf Cinnamon Powder
• 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Ground Cinnamon

"Most of the samples [with elevated lead] came from small markets and international food stores," says Dr. Rogers. "Consider sticking with mainstream brands."

How Does Lead Get Into Cinnamon in the First Place?

As Consumer Reports details, some amount of the metal in cinnamon may come naturally from the soil cinnamon trees grow in and some amount may be introduced by industrial activity.

"Cinnamon trees grow for 10 years before harvest, giving lots of time to accumulate lead in the bark," says Rogers.

He adds that contaminated processing equipment, storage containers, and packaging may contribute to the problem.

While any lead is bad, according to Dr. Forsyth, understanding how amounts affect people is "fairly complex."

"It depends on the medium lead is stored in, the lead levels, the characteristics of the lead [such as particle size], and the nutritional status of the person," she says. "For example, more lead may be taken up if a person is iron or calcium deficient."

Some reports suggest that supplements like vitamin C, calcium, iron, selenium, and zinc, may help reduce lead absorption.

Additionally, cinnamon is not the only type of product posing a lead threat. Concerning amounts of the heavy metal have been discovered in chocolate chips and brownie mixes , turmeric, and other spices.

Overall, Rogers advises shoppers to not be overly worried, but to keep up with the latest research and make smart choices.

"Don't panic, but become an informed consumer," he says.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

Sources

1. Gill L. The 12 Cinnamon Powders You Should Never Use. Consumer Reports . September 12, 2024.
2. FDA Alert Concerning Certain Cinnamon Products Due to Presence of Elevated Levels of Lead. U.S. Food and Drug Administration . March 6, 2024.
3. FDA Public Health Alert for Additional Ground Cinnamon Product Due to Presence of Elevated Levels of Lead. U.S. Food and Drug Administration . July 25, 2024.
4. More Ground Cinnamon Products Added to FDA Public Health Alert Due to Presence of Elevated Levels of Lead. U.S. Food and Drug Administration . July 30, 2024.
5. Investigation of Elevated Lead & Chromium Levels: Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches (November 2023). U.S. Food and Drug Administration . August 15, 2024.
6. Collin M et al. Bioaccumulation of Lead (Pb) and Its Effects on Human: A Review. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances . August 2022.
7. Lead Poisoning Affects Adults Too. New York City Environment & Health Data Portal . July 13, 2023.
8. Taylor R. Fact Sheet: Nutrients That Reduce Lead Poisoning. CalState Fullerton . June 2010.
9. Loria K. A Third of Chocolate Products Are High in Heavy Metals, CR's Tests Find. Consumer Reports . October 25, 2023.
10. Forsyth JE et al. Evidence of Turmeric Adulteration With Lead Chromate Across South Asia. Science of the Total Environment . November 1, 2024.
11. Gill L. Your Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead. Consumer Reports . November 9, 2021.

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Don Rauf

Author

Don Rauf has been a freelance health writer for over 12 years and his writing has been featured in HealthDay, CBS News, WebMD, U.S. News & World Report, Mental Floss, United Press International (UPI), Health , and MedicineNet. He was previously a reporter for DailyRx.com where he covered stories related to cardiology, diabetes, lung cancer, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, menopause, and allergies. He has interviewed doctors and pharmaceutical representatives in the U.S. and abroad.

He is a prolific writer and has written more than 50 books, including Lost America: Vanished Civilizations , Abandoned Towns , and Roadside Attractions . Rauf lives in Seattle, Washington.

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