High levels of lead found in 12 cinnamon and spice brands, Consumer Reports says

FDA says lead-contaminated applesauce packets lacked proper testing

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A year after recalled applesauce pouches containing cinnamon left more than 500 kids with lead poisoning, new research is offering further cause for concern regarding the popular spice used in baked goods and frequently sprinkled on coffee and oatmeal. 

Consumer Reports found troubling levels of lead in one-third of ground cinnamon and cinnamon-containing spice blends it tested, according to the findings released Thursday. The tests involved brands carried by mainstream grocery stores as well as those that sell international foods.

Purchased from 17 stores in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and online, 12 of 36 brands measured above 1 part per million of lead — the threshold that triggers a recall in New York, the only U.S. state to regulate heavy metals in spices, according to the advocacy group.

Stop using these brands

Here are the 12 brands of spice blends and cinnamon that CR says to stop using: 

Badia cinnamon powder
BaiLiFeng five spice powder
Bowl & Basket ground cinnamon
Deep cinnamon Powder
EGN cinnamon powder
Mimi’s Products ground cinnamon
Paras cinnamon powder
Rani Brand ground cinnamon
Spicy King five spices powder
Three Rivers cinnamon stick powder
Yu Yee Brand five spice powder
Zara Foods cinnamon powder

“If you have one of those products, we think you should throw it away,” microbiologist James Rogers, director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports said of the 12 brands with the highest lead levels. “Even small amounts of lead pose a risk because, over time, it can accumulate in the body and remain there for years, seriously harming health,” he added. 

Brands that are OK to use

Here are brands of spice blends and cinnamon that CR says are OK to use:

Abido Spices 7 mixes
Good & Gather ground cinnamon
Great Value ground cinnamon
Happy Belly ground cinnamon
Kirkland Signature organic Saigon cinnamon
McCormick cinnamon
Morton Bassett San Francisco ground cinnamon
Natural Plus Green five spices powder
Penzeys Ceylon cinnamon
Penzeys ground cinnamon
Penzeys Vietnamese Cinnamon
Shan garam masala powder
Simply Organic cinnamon
The Spice Lab organic ground cinnamon
Swad garman masala powder
Trader Joe’s organic ground cinnamon
Wei-Chuan five spice powder
Ziyad Brand premium seven spice blend

Best brands to use

The good news is half a dozen of the products tested as low-risk, and “demonstrate that it’s possible to produce cinnamon with no lead or extremely low levels,” said Rogers.

The six brands qualifying as good options are: 

365 Whole Foods Market Ground Cinnamon
365 Whole Foods Market Organic Ground Cinnamon
Loisa Organic Cinnamon,
Morton & Bassett San Francisco Organic Ground Cinnamon
Sadaf Cinnamon Powder 
Sadaf Seven Spice Blend.

The complete list of products consumers should not use and nearly 20 deemed “OK to use,” can also be found here.

Federal and state officials are still investigating the outbreak tied to 519 cases of food poisoning in 44 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, according to a March update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Food and Drug Administration followed up with a warning against 17 ground cinnamon products found to contain high levels of lead.

Short-term exposure to very low levels of lead may not result in symptoms, but longer-term exposure to the metal can cause permanent damage to the central nervous system, resulting in learning disorders and other developmental defects in children. Chronic lead exposure is associated with kidney issues, hypertension and adverse cognitive effects in adults, according to health officials.

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