FDA, Consumer Reports Warn Against Lead in Cinnamon

By Marnie Shure

Taste of Home's Editorial Process

Published on Oct. 31, 2024

Lead in cinnamon can lead to serious health hazards. Check your pantry for these products before holiday baking season begins.

In 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a widespread recall of single-serve cinnamon applesauce pouches, as the cinnamon contained elevated levels of lead. This was the first time many consumers heard about the connection between ground cinnamon and the toxic heavy metal, but the fact is, many types of cinnamon contain lead.

Here’s why the two are connected—and which brands of cinnamon to avoid.

Lead is a toxic chemical substance that does not easily break down after it’s consumed. That means any lead we’re exposed to accumulates in the body, and a buildup of too much lead can have dangerous effects like organ failure, brain damage and death.

Lead can be present in the soil in which the food is grown, or particles can be present in the air and settle onto crops. Lead is also used as a color additive in products like turmeric and, yes, cinnamon. Some products greatly exceed the safety thresholds established by the FDA.

Following a March report by the FDA warning of elevated lead in cinnamon, Consumer Reports decided to test 36 brands of cinnamon found at 17 supermarkets on the East Coast and online. They found that 12 of the products had lead levels above the threshold that would qualify for a recall in New York. (Interestingly, Consumer Reports notes that New York is “the only state in the U.S. that regulates heavy metals in spices.”)

Here are the brands that Consumer Reports says not to use:

The manufacturers of the products with the highest levels of lead on the list, Paras and EGN, told Consumer Reports that its products would be removed from the market.

Consumer Reports lists several brands of cinnamon in its “best to use” category.

Here are the six cinnamon products of least concern:

As you begin planning Thanksgiving desserts, cinnamon is likely in your pantry or on your shopping list. For the health of everyone at the table, check which brand you’re using before whipping up the pumpkin pie this year.