How concerned are you about lead contamination in common food items like cinnamon?
FDA Expands Ground Cinnamon Recall Over Lead Contamination Warnings
The FDA has expanded its public health alert to include several brands of ground cinnamon found to contain elevated levels of lead, including Marcum, Supreme Tradition, El Chilar, Jiva Organics, and more. These recalls follow concerns raised in 2023 over lead-contaminated cinnamon in applesauce pouches that sickened children. While no illnesses have yet been linked to the current ground cinnamon alerts, the FDA is urging consumers to check their pantries and discard any affected products immediately. Lead exposure is especially dangerous to children and pregnant people, prompting widespread concern among food safety advocates. The agency is conducting further tests and may add more products to the recall list. The issue has renewed scrutiny on imported spice quality, third-party testing, and how often common pantry items may pose unseen risks.
Options
- Very concerned — I’m checking my pantry
- Somewhat concerned — I’ll be more cautious
- Not concerned — this seems rare
- Hadn’t heard about this until now