Ground cinnamon products dangerous for health, FDA issues alert

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued public health alert for ground cinnamon products. The agency is asking consumers to immediately discard the ground cinnamon products supplied by brand El Servidor.

Through product testing conducted by the New York State Department of Agriculture, the product has been found to contain elevated levels of lead.

Exposure to this product may be unsafe and consuming this product is likely to contribute to elevated levels of lead in the blood, especially in babies and young children, according to the FDA.

FDA recommended distributor to voluntarily recall product

The FDA has recommended that the distributor voluntarily recall this product .

Protecting children from exposure to lead is particularly important because they are more susceptible to lead toxicity , according to FDA.

Short term exposure to elevated lead could result in headache, abdominal pain/colic, vomiting and anemia.

Elevated lead could result in irritability, fatigue

Longer term exposure to elevated lead could result in irritability, lethargy, fatigue, muscle aches or muscle prickling/burning, constipation, difficulty concentrating/muscular weakness, tremor, weight loss, as per the FDA .

According to the agency, consumers should not eat, sell, or serve the ground cinnamon product listed in the table above and should discard the product.

FDA asks consumers to discard this product

“This product has a long shelf life. Consumers should check their homes and discard this product,” said the FDA in a statement.

“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 .”

FDA advises suppliers to voluntarily test their products

For ingredients and final products that contain cinnamon, the FDA advises both domestic and foreign food suppliers to voluntarily test their products to ensure safety. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the manufacturers and the importers to ensure the safety of the products that enter into the U.S. market.

In March 2024, the FDA sent a letter to cinnamon manufacturers, processors, distributors, and facility operators in the U.S., reminding them of the requirement to implement controls to prevent contamination from potential chemical hazards in food, including in-ground cinnamon products.

According to the FDA , it’s taking the additional step in issuing a second 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.

While a lead level of 20 ppm is significantly lower than the levels of lead associated with the WanaBana cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products recalled in the fall of 2023, which were between 2,270 and 5,110 ppm lead in the cinnamon, the agency considers this ground cinnamon product to be unsafe for consumption by all babies and young children.