News FDA Adds More Ground Cinnamon Products Tainted With Lead to Public Health Alert By Korin Miller Korin Miller Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, shopping, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Women’s Health, Self, Prevention, Daily Beast, and more. health's editorial guidelines Updated on July 31, 2024 Fact checked by Nick Blackmer Fact checked by Nick Blackmer Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact-checker, and researcher with more than 20 years of experience in consumer-facing health and wellness content. health's fact checking process Close The FDA is warning consumers to stop using certain cinnamon products sold by retailers, including Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, and Save A Lot, due to elevated levels of lead.The FDA’s safety alert follows the October 2023 recall of cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products, which have been linked to 468 cases of lead and chromium poisoning across the U.S.No adverse effects or illnesses have been reported with this new safety alert, but anyone who suspects they've been exposed to lead should contact a healthcare provider. More cinnamon products have been added to a health alert previously issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning that the spice may have elevated levels of lead. On Tuesday, the FDA said it found higher-than-acceptable levels of lead in five more brands of cinnamon: Compania Indillor Orientale, ALB Flavor, Shahzada, Spice Class and La Frontera. Additionally, new batches of brands included in the March announcement were added to the health alert, including from: El Chilar, Marcum, SWAD and Supreme Tradition. The affected cinnamon products were sold by retailers, including Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, and Save A Lot, according to the FDA The safety alert comes following the October 2023 recall of cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products found to contain lead, which have since been linked to 468 cases of lead and chromium poisoning in 44 states. That 2023 recall led the FDA to initiate further testing of ground cinnamon products found in discount retail stores to see if they also contained lead and chromium. Results showed that ground cinnamon products from six different distributors had elevated lead levels ranging from 2.03 to 3.4 parts per million (ppm). The tainted products are shown and listed below: FDA La Fiesta ground cinnamon Distributed by: La Fiesta Food ProductsSold by: La Superior, SuperMercadosBest by/lots/codes: 25033 Marcum ground cinnamon Distributed by: Moran Foods, LLCSold by: Save A LotBest by/lots/codes: 10/16/25 10DB, 04/06/25 0400B1, 12/05/25 12 D8, 12/05/25 12 D11 MK ground cinnamon Distributed by: MTCISold by: El Chilar, Marcum, SWAD and Supreme Tradition: SF Supermarket Swad ground cinnamon Distributed by: Raja Foods, LLCSold by: Patel BrothersBest by/lots/codes: KX21223, KX28223 Supreme Tradition ground cinnamon Distributed by: Greenbriar International, Inc.Sold by: Dollar Tree, Family DollarBest by/lots/codes: 09/29/25 09E8, 04/17/25 04E11, 12/19/25 12C2, 04/12/25 04ECB12, 08/24/25 08A__, 04/21/25 04E5, 2025-09-22 09E20, 10/06/25 (California) El Chilar ground cinnamon Distributed by: El ChilarSold by: La Joya Morelense (Baltimore, MD), El Torito MarketBest by/lots/codes: F275EX1026, D300EX1024, D181EX0624, E054EX0225 Compania Indillor Orientale Distributed by: MAMTAKIM, Inc.Sold by: EurogroceryBest by/lots/codes: 08 2024 L1803231 ALB Flavor Distributed by: ALB-USA Enterprises, Inc.Sold by: EurogroceryBest by/lots/codes: 30/08/2025 - LA02 Shahzada Distributed by: Advance Food International, Inc.Sold by: Premium SupermarketBest by/lots/codes: None Spice Class Distributed by: American Spices, LLCSold by: Fish WorldBest by/lots/codes: 12/2026 (New York) La Frontera Distributed by: La Frontera ImportsSold by: Frutas Y AbarrotesBest by/lots/codes: None On top of the FDA’s warning to consumers, the agency recommended the voluntary recall of those ground cinnamon products and sent a letter to all cinnamon manufacturers, processors, distributors, and facility operators in the U.S. to remind them that they are required to prevent these types of contamination in food products. How Does Lead End Up in Cinnamon? The FDA said the levels of lead in the ground cinnamon products are “significantly lower” than those found in the ground cinnamon implicated in the apple puree and applesauce recall—which were between 2,270 ppm and 5,110 ppm—but any amount of lead in products is unsafe, especially for children who absorb lead more easily. Lead can get into food products at any stage of the supply chain, including the growth, harvesting, or processing phases. Previously, lead has been widely used in paint, gasoline, and other products and can make its way into the environment when those products are used or disposed of. When Is Lead in Food a Health Concern? There’s no known safe level of lead, but it’s largely unavoidable in the environment and in our food supply. In that case, the FDA has come up with an interim reference level (IRL) to determine if the amount of exposure in food could be a health concern. Lead’s IRL is calculated based on the CDC’s blood reference level (3.5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of whole blood). “Cinnamon can be naturally contaminated from the environment,” Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, PhD, director of the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety told Health. Even things like a spice grinder that contains lead can be an issue, he added. In some cases, lead may also be intentionally added to certain products, like spices, as a way to increase product weight or add color. This is more likely to happen with spices purchased abroad—those that come from Georgia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Morocco may contain high levels of lead. “Lead is something that has been used in a few different spice products as a way to stretch more out of what someone has when it comes to ground spices,” Benjamin Chapman, PhD, a professor and food safety specialist at North Carolina State University, told Health. Stanley Cups Contain 'Some Lead'—Does That Make Them Dangerous to Use? What to Do If You Have Lead-Tainted Cinnamon The FDA advised consumers to stop using, throw away, and not buy the ground cinnamon products that have elevated levels of lead. Because cinnamon often has a long shelf life, the agency is also recommending people check their pantries to see if they have any of the impacted products at home. Because you won’t immediately know if you’ve ingested a lead-tainted product—”[you] can’t smell or taste lead in cinnamon,” said Diez-Gonzalez—you should also talk to your healthcare provider if you believe you’ve been exposed to elevated levels of lead, the FDA said. Though no illnesses have been reported in association with these cinnamon products yet, long-term exposure to lead can lead to adverse health effects, especially in children. These include learning disabilities, behavior difficulties such as hyperactivity, and lowered IQ. Keep in mind, too: This recall doesn’t affect all cinnamon—just the products specifically called out by the FDA. “[We’re] not sounding the alarm on [all] cinnamon,” Chapman said. “But pay attention to what the FDA is doing and see if you have any of these brands at home. If you don’t know, maybe it’s time to re-up your cinnamon.” Heavy Metals Found in Chocolate: Study Sheds Light on Lead, Cadmium in Some Products Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit 7 Sources Health.com uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. More ground cinnamon products added to FDA public health alert due to presence of elevated levels of lead. Food and Drug Administration. FDA alert concerning certain cinnamon products due to presence of elevated levels of lead. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lead and chromium poisoning outbreak linked to cinnamon applesauce pouches. Food and Drug Administration. Lead in food and foodwares. NYC Health. Hazardous products: foods and spices. American Academy of Pediatrics. Lead exposure in children. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Childhood lead poisoning prevention: Health effects of lead exposure.