Officials remind families about cinnamon recall
Recent action taken due to elevated levels of lead found
Check the bottle before you sprinkle any cinnamon on your toast.
There’s a recall on some brands of cinnamon that have been found to contain elevated levels of lead and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) are urging Michigan families to stop using them.
“There is no safe level of lead in the body for any person, and lead is particularly harmful to pregnant individuals,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive in Monday’s news release. “If you are concerned about your child’s exposure to lead, please talk to your health care provider about blood lead testing.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked six companies whose cinnamon brands were found to contain elevated levels of lead to voluntarily recall the brands on March 6. Five of the six companies have issued recalls. This recall applies to the following
brands of cinnamon and links to more information about those recalls are included:
• La Fiesta Brand Ground Cinnamon .87 oz, Recall Information.
• Marcum Ground Cinnamon 1.5 oz, Recall Information. MK.
• SWAD Brand Cinnamon Powder in clear 3.5 oz bags, Recall Information.
• Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon 2.25 oz, Recall Information.
• El Chilar Ground Cinnamon
“Canela Molida,” Recall Information.
• FDA continues to monitor this situation and provides updates about the specific recalled lots and code numbers at bit.ly/FDA-Cinnamon-Alert.
FDA has identified several stores where these products might be found, including:
• Dollar Tree.
• Family Dollar.
• Save a Lot.
• Patel Brothers.
All of these products have a long shelf life. MDHHS advises consumers to check their homes for the affected brands and discard them.
The source of contamination for applesauce pouches and the source of contamination for the six brands of cinnamon that FDA issued a voluntary recall for are not connected.
Last November, three brands of applesauce products with cinnamon were recalled: WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches, Schnucks-brand cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches and variety pack, and Weis-brand cinnamon applesauce pouches.
Following the discovery of lead and chromium in cinnamon apple puree pouches, FDA initiated targeted surveys and analyses of ground cinnamon products from discount retail stores and identified elevated amounts of lead during testing.
MDHHS and MDARD continue to monitor incoming information from FDA. Consumers and health care providers can monitor updates about this recall at bit.ly/FDA-Cinnamon-Alert.
A blood lead test is the only way to know if a person has been exposed to lead.