Elevated lead concentrations detected in 12 different varieties of cinnamon and spice mixes, as per investigation's findings
Cinnamon powder supplied by Paras had the most substantial lead content, at 3.52 parts per million (ppm), as revealed in the study. EGN's cinnamon powder followed closely, with a lead level of 2.91 ppm. The next highest levels were found in Mimi's Products ground cinnamon (2.03 ppm), ShopRite Bowl & Basket ground cinnamon (1.82 ppm), Rani Brand ground cinnamon (1.39 ppm), Zara Foods cinnamon powder (1.27 ppm), Three Rivers cinnamon stick powder (1.26 ppm), Yu Yee Brand five spice powder (1.25 ppm), BaiLiFeng five spice powder (1.15 ppm), Spicy King five spices powder (1.05 ppm), Badia cinnamon powder (1.03 ppm), and Deep cinnamon powder (1.02 ppm).
Paras and EGN informed Consumer Reports that they would cease sales and instruct stores to remove these contaminated cinnamon items from their shelves. CNN reached out to all 12 firms for comment.
Mimi’s Products stated that they rely on analytical reports provided by their vendors, which indicate that "no lead levels exceeding 1 part per million were found in our ground cinnamon," as confirmed by spokesperson Nuria Lambert.
Wakefern Food Corp., which owns ShopRite Bowl & Basket, stated via email that the quality of their products is their top priority, and their cinnamon meets all safety and quality standards.
Badia Spices confirmed through email that their ground cinnamon goods adhere to all federal and international regulations.
Guitar, from the FDA, stated via email that "trace amounts of lead are found in nearly every food product grown around the world." The FDA has not yet established a formal regulation for lead in spices and has not issued any consumer alerts or recalls for spice products containing lead levels below 2 parts per million.
CNN has not received a response from the other manufacturers or the American Spice Trade Association by publishing time.
No lead level is safe for consumption
The Codex Alimentarius, an international body created by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, is considering establishing a maximum level of 2.5 ppm for lead in bark spices, such as cinnamon, in 2024, according to the FDA.
However, lead levels above 1 ppm trigger a recall in New York, the only state that regulates heavy metals in spice products. Consumer Reports alerted New York state officials, and CNN reached out to the New York State Department of Health to determine if they would take any action based on the report, but did not receive a response before publication.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency claims that there is no safe level of lead for human consumption. Lead accumulates in the body over time and is a "toxic metal" that can harm individuals, even at low exposure levels, especially children.
The World Health Organization estimates that nearly one million lives were lost due to lead exposure in 2019, and that lead was responsible for 21.7 million years lost to disability and death worldwide due to its long-term effects on health.
At high levels of exposure, lead can cause severe damage to the brain and central nervous system, leading to coma, convulsions, and even death. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with permanent intellectual disabilities and behavioral disorders.
Lower levels found in other brands
Consumer Reports gathered approximately three samples of 36 different spice items, including cinnamon, garam masala, and multiple spice mixes. Major spice brands were acquired from mainstream grocery stores, whereas smaller brands were obtained from international stores in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, as well as online.
In addition to the twelve brands with lead levels above 1 ppm, 18 brands of various cinnamons or spice blends contained levels of lead ranging from 0.87 to 0.23 ppm, according to the report. Six cinnamon products tested at even lower levels.
These include ground cinnamon and organic ground cinnamon sold by 365 Whole Foods Market, which contained 0.12 and 0.02 ppm of lead, respectively. Morton & Bassett San Francisco 100% organic ground cinnamon, Loisa organic cinnamon, and Sadaf cinnamon powder tested at 0.04 ppm of lead. Sadaf seven spice blend had a slightly higher level of lead, with 0.15 ppm.
However, since the Consumer Reports testing only evaluated three samples from each brand, the results cannot determine if similar lead levels would be found in all products sold under that brand name, according to James Rogers, director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports.
“We do not have the resources to test hundreds and hundreds of samples, which would be the proper way to do it,” Rogers stated. “This is a spot test of each product and can serve as a starting point for a consumer to perform risk mitigation by recognizing that lead is present in our soil and water, and there may be other sources of lead in their diet as well.”
In the autumn of 2023, astonishingly high lead levels were detected in kid-friendly apple sauce pouches flavored with imported Ecuadorian cinnamon and distributed by WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis brands. The lead concentrations were reportedly astronomically greater than in any spice screening, ranging from approximately 2,300 parts per million (ppm) to around 5,100 ppm, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Since then, the FDA has been issuing public health warnings concerning excessive lead content in varying cinnamon products. The most recent alert, published in August, listed a dozen such items having lead levels as high as 3.93 ppm.
Despite several manufacturers voluntarily withdrawing their products, the FDA lacks the legal power to mandate manufacturers to do so, Rogers pointed out.
“The FDA lacks compulsory recall authority, so they rely on corporations to act responsibly, which occurs not uniformly,” he stated. “There are no defined limits for lead in cinnamon, thus no laws to enforce that necessitate a recall. All they can do is distribute public health alerts.”
The root issue, according to Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor of medicine at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Somerville, Massachusetts, who wasn't involved in the research led by Consumer Reports, is a lack of supervision.
“No one is supervising the store,” Cohen declared. “There’s no one to guarantee the amount of heavy metals Americans encounter when consuming common goods, including cinnamon.”
Cohen emphasized that the FDA hasn’t specified a safe level of lead in cinnamon, hence corporations are left to decide the lead exposure levels in their products, setting off an alarming situation.
Upon request, the FDA recommended people cease using and dispose of the specific ground cinnamon items after a public health warning has been broadcasted. According to FDA spokesperson Courtney Rhodes, the FDA’s current ground cinnamon sampling at retail outlets and ongoing examinations of ground cinnamon results from state partners’ retail sampling don’t indicate challenges with other items.
Rhodes added that manufacturers aren’t obligated to test ingredients or final products for heavy metals, including those marketed for infant and juvenile consumption.
As part of the Biden administration’s fiscal year 2025 budget proposal, the FDA is looking to revise the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to force industry to test final products for pollutants and maintain sample testing records for inspection by FDA officials. Furthermore, Rhodes suggested that the FDA seeks “new authority to remotely access these test results' records and review these results as necessary.”
CNN’s Kristen Rogers contributed to this piece.
In light of the concerns raised, it's crucial for individuals to prioritize their health and wellness by choosing products with lower lead levels. For instance, 365 Whole Foods Market offers ground cinnamon with 0.12 ppm of lead, while Morton & Bassett San Francisco 100% organic ground cinnamon, Loisa organic cinnamon, and Sadaf cinnamon powder contain only 0.04 ppm of lead.
The increased scrutiny on lead levels in spices and food products highlights the importance of regulatory bodies, such as the FDA, setting and enforcing safe limits for lead in cinnamon and other spices to protect public health and wellness.
