FDA Recalls Lead-Tainted Cinnamon

Following a recent case of cinnamon-flavored applesauce that poisoned hundreds of American children with elevated lead levels, the FDA said it is taking additional steps to address lead-tainted cinnamon, including recommending a recall of various ground cinnamon products.

The FDA, citing Ecuadorean investigators, said that the likely culprit for the original cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouch contamination was a spice grinder. This led to the recall of three million units in 2023.

FDA is advising consumers to throw away and not to buy ground cinnamon products with specific lot codes distributed by La Fiesta Food Products, Marcum, MTCI, Swad, Supreme Tradition, and El Chilar, because they were found to contain elevated lead levels. The products could have been purchased at retailers including Save A Lot, Dollar Tree, La Superior SuperMercados, and Patel Brothers. The full list of recalled products can be found here.

The lead levels found in the recalled ground cinnamon products are lower than lead levels in cinnamon in the lead-tainted applesauce pouches removed from the market last fall, according to the FDA.

The agency also issued 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 ground cinnamon products.

“Today’s actions serve as a signal to industry that more needs to be done to prevent elevated levels of contaminants from entering our food supply,” said Deputy Commissioner for human foods Jim Jones in a statement. “Food growers, manufacturers, importers, and retailers share a responsibility for ensuring the safety of the foods that reach store shelves. The levels of lead we found in some ground cinnamon products are too high and we must do better to protect those most vulnerable to the negative health outcomes of exposure to elevated levels of lead.”

In another effort to promote food safety, legislation was recently introduced in the House of Representatives to address challenges with the FDA's current food traceability rule. The Food Industry Association explained that the legislation would make targeted improvements to the rule that are necessary for more feasible industry compliance while enhancing food safety.

“There is nothing more important to…the food industry than the safety of the food we make available to our customers and preventing the spread of foodborne illness,” said FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin in a statement. “We applaud Reps. Franklin, Bishop, and Panetta for their leadership on the Food Traceability Enhancement Act, which will resolve key challenges in implementing the rule in a way that enhances food safety without unnecessary burdens and costs throughout the food supply chain.”