More recalls have been issued by companies throughout the U.S. after officials ended up finding samples of ground cinnamon tainted with elevated concentrations of lead.
Four major providers of foodstuffs announced recently that they would recall large batches of cinnamon. No illnesses have been linked to these contaminations as of yet, according to the Food and Drug Administration, but the agency warned that ingesting this toxic metal could affect almost every system in the body.
Lead exposure could result in many conditions, including fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure and stomach cramps. If one were to be exposed to it over a long period of time, they could develop gastrointestinal and kidney dysfunctions and also experience neurological effects such as irritability, reaction times that are delayed and potentially even seizures.
Lead poisoning in children also can cause permanent development issues, according to medical experts. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that expose in children could damage both the nervous system and brain, lower children’s IQ, and cause problems with speech, hearing and learning.
Colonna Brothers of North Bergen, New Jersey, was the first recall that the FDA signposted last week. Two different types of ground cinnamon that it produces are being recalled. These products were distributed across the country and had “best before dates” into 2025.
According to the FDA, the company stopped distributing and producing all of its cinnamon products voluntarily, and that it wasn’t in violation of any federal rules.
As the agency said:
“The recall was the result of a targeted sampling program of discount brands by the FDA, following heightened sensitivity around cinnamon.”
El Chila Rodriguez, a company based out of Apopka, Florida, also recalled more than 1,500 bags of its “Canela Molida” ground cinnamon that are in 1.25-ounce bags.
Those products were distributed to retail stores in Maryland, the FDA said. The recall was initiated after the Maryland Department of Health did a sample testing, and found “the problem might be caused by potentially adulterated raw material from the supplier.”
Last Thursday, Raja Foods of Skokie, Illinois, issued its own recall of two different batches of 3.5-ounce bags of its Swad brand cinnamon that had “best before dates” of both March and July of 2026.
Those products were distributed to various grocery stores in the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest. The recalls were initiated after routine sampling by the FDA.
Then, come Friday, a recall was issued by La Fiesta Food Products of La Mirada, California. All 0.87-ounce bags of its ground cinnamon were recalled for the same issue after FDA testing.
All of those products were distributed to retail stores located in Washington, Texas, California and April, and they were distributed between April 20 and May 3 of last year.
These recalls of ground cinnamon come not long after millions of pouches of applesauce with cinnamon were recalled after concerns regarding lead contamination.
