Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began warning consumers about lead contamination in several cinnamon products.
Now, months after those initial warnings, the agency has another cinnamon product for consumers to avoid.
Following testing from the New York State Department of Agriculture Markets, the FDA has confirmed that El Servidor Corp. cinnamon contains 20 parts per million (ppm) of lead. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organizations recommend 2.5 ppm of lead in spices like cinnamon.
What should consumers do?
Currently, the FDA is encouraging the manufacturer to voluntarily recall the product and pull it from store shelves. The agency is also recommending that consumers dispose of the product immediately if they have it in their cupboards, and avoid purchasing it if they see it in stores.
While most people won’t show immediate symptoms of lead exposure, consumers are encouraged to seek medical care if they think they’ve been exposed.
Other recalled cinnamon products
Since March, the FDA has issued warnings on six other cinnamon products for elevated levels of lead, including:
La Fiesta Ground Cinnamon: Sold at La Superior and SuperMercados
Marcum Ground Cinnamon: Sold at Save A Lot
MK Ground Cinnamon: Sold at SF Supermarket
Swad Ground Cinnamon: Sold at Patel Brothers
Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon: Sold at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar
El Chilar Ground Cinnamon: Sold at La Joya Morelense
These products were being sold in several states across the country, including California, Missouri, Illinois, Virginia, Florida, Maryland, and more. They also contained levels of lead ranging from 2.03 ppm to 3.40 ppm.
“Based on the FDA’s assessment, prolonged exposure to these products may be unsafe and could contribute to elevated levels of lead in the blood,” the FDA wrote.
“Long-term exposure (months to years) to elevated levels of lead in the diet could contribute to adverse health effects, particularly for the portion of the population that may have already elevated blood lead levels from other exposures to lead. No illnesses or adverse events have been reported to date in association with these products.”