{"id":2072429,"date":"2024-10-31T16:45:58","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T21:45:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=2072429"},"modified":"2025-05-19T12:22:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T17:22:49","slug":"lead-in-cinnamon-powder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/lead-in-cinnamon-powder\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Types of Cinnamon Powder with Dangerously High Levels of Lead"},"content":{"rendered":"In 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a widespread recall<\/a> 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<\/a> contain lead.\r\n\r\nHere's why the two are connected\u2014and which brands of cinnamon to avoid.\r\n

Why would there be lead in cinnamon?<\/h2>\r\nLead 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.\r\n\r\nLead 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.\r\n\r\nFollowing a March report by the FDA warning of elevated lead<\/a> in cinnamon, Consumer Reports<\/em> decided to test 36 brands of cinnamon<\/a> 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.\")\r\n\r\nHere are the brands that Consumer Reports says not to use<\/a>:\r\n