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A recall has been issued for Lucky Foods cinnamon after the FDA discovered its lead content exceeded safe levels, as detailed in their latest advisory.
WASHINGTON — The FDA has expanded its warning concerning high lead concentrations in cinnamon to include the Cinnamon Powder by Lucky Foods. This alert, initially issued in July 2024, has seen several updates to encompass more products.
The recall pertains specifically to 40-gram packages of Lucky Foods ground cinnamon, identifiable by its brown label with the “Lucky Foods” branding. These were distributed across numerous states, including California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas, between April 11 and September 1 of this year.
The cinnamon packages in question have a best-by date of September 15, 2027.
While no health issues have been reported thus far, the FDA initiated the recall following a test by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, which identified the heightened lead levels.
Which brands of cinnamon are affected?
The new additions to the recall alert come just weeks after the FDA added DEVI-brand and BaiLiFeng-brand ground cinnamon to the advisory.
The impacted brands, from the original recall to now, are labeled below.
- BaiLiFeng
- Durra
- DEVI
- Wise Wife
- Jiva Organic
- Super Brand
- Asli
- El Chilar
- Marcum
- SWAD
- Supreme Tradition
- Compania Indillor Orientale
- ALB Flavor
- Shahzada
- Spice Class
- La Frontera
- HAETAE
- Roshni
- Lucky Foods
- El Servidor (Was initially on July 2024 alert, but no longer listed on updated alert)
How much lead was found in the cinnamon?
Testing by state programs and confirmed by the FDA found lead levels ranging from slightly over 2 parts per million to about 7 parts per million in most of the spices, the agency said. The El Servidor brand was found to have a lead concentration of 20 parts per million.
That’s far lower than the 2,000 to 5,000 parts per million detected in ground cinnamon in pouches of WanaBana and other brands of cinnamon apple puree that sickened more than 500 U.S. children starting last year.
There is currently no FDA limit for heavy metals in spices. However, the agency has set a limit of 1 part per million of lead in candy likely to be consumed by small children. The American Spice Trade Association, an industry trade group, calls for no more than 2 parts per million of lead in bark spices such as cinnamon.
Is there any safe amount of lead?
Health experts say that ingesting occasional lead accidentally isn’t cause for concern. But regular exposure, even to small doses, could have long-lasting health consequences.
Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over months or years. According to the World Health Organization, the heavy metal can cause issues in the brain, liver, kidney and bones.
Lead can be stored in certain parts of the body, such as the teeth and bones, and accumulate over time to produce increasingly serious effects.
Symptoms can include high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and reproductive issues. Children younger than 6 years are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect mental and physical development.
WHO found that more than 1.5 million deaths were attributed to lead in 2021, with most coming from cardiovascular effects.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
