'Throw it away': High traces of lead found in 12 brands' cinnamon, spice powders, report says

Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY
Updated

Cinnamon is a go-to ingredient for baked goods and other savory dishes, but consumers may need to be more wary of which brand they buy the spice from as a recent report found high traces of lead in some companies' products.

Consumer Reports, a nonprofit that helps consumers assess the safety and performance of goods, found high levels of lead in cinnamon powder and multi-spice powders from 12 brands — including Paras, EGN, Mimi's Products, Bowl & Basket, Rani Brand, Zara Foods, Three Rivers, Yu Yee Brand, BaiLiFeng, Spicy King, Badia and Deep.

The ground cinnamon powders and spice blends tested by Consumer Reports showed lead levels above 1 part per million (ppm), which is a level used by New York state to indicate products that should be recalled, according to the nonprofit. Consumer Reports' food safety experts advised people to "avoid those products."

Simply a quarter teaspoon of any of the mentioned cinnamon products contains more lead than an individual should consume in an entire day, James Rogers, the director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports, said.

“If you have one of those products, we think you should throw it away," according to Rogers. "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."

Start your day informed: Sign up for USA TODAY's Daily Briefing newsletter.

Previously: Ground cinnamon products added to FDA health alert, now 16 with elevated levels of lead

Frequent lead exposure can cause immune system suppression, reproductive issues, kidney damage, mood disorders, cognitive issues and hypertension in adults, according to Mayo Clinic. In children, lead exposure can contribute to slower growth and development, behavioral issues, seizures and other physical symptoms, the medical center said.

How much lead was found in the cinnamon and multi-spice powder products?

Paras cinnamon powder had the most lead containing 3.52 ppm, according to the report. The lead content in the other cinnamon and multi-spice products Consumer Reports suggested people avoid are:

  • EGN cinnamon powder (2.91 ppm)

  • Mimi's Products ground cinnamon (2.03 ppm)

  • 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)

  • Deep cinnamon powder (1.02 ppm)

Paras and EGN to stop selling their products

Following Consumer Reports' report, Paras and EGN told the nonprofit that they would stop selling their cinnamon powder products and remove them from stores' shelves.

Deep and Yu Yee Brand told Consumer Reports that they "tested their product or relied on tests from their suppliers."

Mimi’s Products relies on analytical reports provided by its vendors, which indicate that “no lead levels exceeding 1 part per million were found in our ground cinnamon," a spokesperson for NAC Foods, the manufacturer of Mimi's Products, told USA TODAY.

Wakefern Food Corp., the owner of ShopRite Bowl & Basket, told CNN that “the quality of our products is of the utmost importance and our cinnamon meets all safety and quality standards.”

Badia Spices' ground cinnamon products comply with all federal and international laws, a spokesperson for the company told the outlet.

USA TODAY has contacted several other companies named in the report but has not received a response.

What cinnamon products contain smaller levels of lead?

Consumer Reports also found some cinnamon and spice products from brands that were deemed safe after testing their lead content. Some of the brands and products include McCormick cinnamon (0.23 ppm), Kirkland Signature organic Saigon cinnamon (0.80 ppm), Great Value ground cinnamon (0.79 ppm), Trader Joe's organic ground cinnamon (0.69 ppm), Good & Gather ground cinnamon (0.56 ppm), Simply Organic cinnamon (0.28 ppm), 365 Whole Foods Market ground cinnamon (0.12 ppm), 365 Whole Foods Market organic ground cinnamon (0.02 ppm) and Sadaf cinnamon powder (0.04 ppm).

McCormick told Consumer Reports that it monitors “environmental conditions that may increase the natural occurrence of heavy metals.” Simply Organic said that it has adopted New York state’s limits and it conducts “comprehensive in-house inspections and additional product testing for every shipment of incoming material," according to the nonprofit.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lead found at high levels in 12 brands' cinnamon, multi-spice powders

Advertisement