This week, multiple companies announced they would withdraw their cinnamon products from the market after Consumer Reports discovered lead contamination in these items.

Consumer Reports detected lead traces in cinnamon and mixed spice powders from various brands, applying New York state’s recall threshold of 1 part per million for their assessment. Food safety specialists from the organization recommended avoiding these contaminated products.

The affected brands include Paras, EGN, Mimi’s Products, Bowl & Basket, Rani Brand, Zara Foods, Three Rivers, Yu Yee Brand, BaiLiFeng, Spicy King, Badia, and Deep. The origins of the lead contamination in these products remain uncertain.

Moreover, cinnamon powders are not the only foods showing lead contamination, a toxic substance harmful even in tiny amounts. The issue of lead regulation in food and other daily-use products is gaining attention, especially as traditional lead exposure sources like paint and pipes have significantly diminished.

How Does Lead Contaminate Food?

Lead can be found naturally, but the routes of its entry into the food supply are complex. In today’s global economy, the U.S. imports many foods, including spices, from countries with weaker regulations. Sometimes, lead is intentionally added to enhance the visual appeal of food products, but it can also enter crops via contaminated soil and water due to nearby industrial activities.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not responded to requests for comment regarding the findings reported by Consumer Reports.

Other Recent Food Products with Lead Issues

• In March, the FDA announced that tests on six cinnamon products revealed high lead levels.
• In April, a separate report from Consumer Reports urged the removal of Lunchables from the National School Lunch Program due to high sodium and lead content, although the manufacturer disputed this claim, stating they meet regulations.
• In November, WanaBana recalled their cinnamon applesauce after discovering lead chromate, a brightening additive, in their cinnamon source from Ecuador. This led to at least 500 cases of children experiencing elevated lead levels after consuming the snack.

Why is Lead a Health Risk?

Lead poses significant health risks, especially to children, who can absorb it more easily compared to adults through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. Children with iron deficiencies are particularly at risk as their bodies take in lead more readily.

High lead levels can lead to severe health issues such as seizures, coma, and even death. Even low levels of exposure can result in behavioral problems, cognitive impairments, attention disorders, and hindered growth, hearing, or speech development.

Stricter regulations on sources of lead exposure like pipes, paint, and gasoline have significantly reduced lead levels in children across the U.S. Medicaid covers blood testing costs for lead exposure in children, and many private insurance plans do as well. In 1988, over 25% of children under five had elevated lead blood levels; by 2014, this figure had dropped to 2%.

Certain demographics still face higher risks for lead exposure. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identify children of color, immigrants, refugees, families living in poverty, and residents of older homes as the most vulnerable. However, the evolving nature of exposure—whether from food or household products—indicates that everyone remains at risk.

Jonathan Limehouse of YSL News contributed to this report.