The Food and Drug Administration this week added more cinnamon products to its consumer alert after certain brands of cinnamon were found to have elevated levels of lead.
If eaten in large doses or over a long period of time, lead may cause health problems.
The FDA puts out its first alert over some brands and lots of cinnamon in March. Between that first alert and the two recent ones in July, the following brands have cinnamon products that may contain unsafe levels of lead:
- La Fiesta
- Marcum
- MK
- SWAD
- Supreme Tradition
- El Chilar
- Compania Indillor Orientale
- ALB Flavor
- Shahzada
- Spice Class
- La Frontera
- El Servidor
The products were sold at different markets, including some popular discount stores like 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 in all three alerts. If you have a jar or package of cinnamon with details that match the FDA's warning, stop using it.
Shortly after the FDA posted its first 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 in March of some of its ground cinnamon. The company issued another voluntary recall this week. El Chilar, which distributes to stores in Maryland, also voluntarily recalled some ground cinnamon in March. Raja foods, which sells cinnamon under the name Swad throughout the US, also recalled some products.
American Spices, LLC, which makes the Spice Class brand named in one of the FDA alerts, issued a recall recently, as did Advanced Food International Inc., which makes the Shahzada brand. ALB-USA Enterprises also recently recalled some ALB Flavor products.
A spokesperson for Dollar Tree Inc, which owns Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, told CNET in a statement this March that following the alert and recall, the store 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 products named by the FDA.
The latest update from the agency comes after an investigation began last year into unsafe levels of lead in cinnamon in certain applesauce products. The agency has reported 90 adverse events or customer complaints linked to the applesauce pouches, but this is not confirmation of the source of illness.
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 in March 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 has been 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 that it's long-term exposure to lead -- meaning consuming lead over months or years -- that may contribute to health problems. Some people, including young children, may be more vulnerable to the effects of lead. If you're concerned, the agency recommends contacting your doctor.
In information provided for the separate cinnamon applesauce pouch investigation, 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.