Over the last year, a growing number of cinnamon products have been recalled in the U.S. due to high levels of lead.
More recently, Consumer Reports found a concerning amount of the toxic metal in a third of cinnamon powders purchased from more than a dozen grocery stores in the Northeast.
There is no safe limit of lead to consume. At the same time, completely eliminating the heavy metal in food isn’t feasible, because lead is a naturally occurring element in the Earth’s crust. Trace amounts can infiltrate the food supply in various ways, including in places where foods are grown, raised or processed, experts say.
However, the recent findings raise questions about why the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t already proposed limits on lead in foods meant for young children.
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“This issue with the cinnamon and the lead and other issues with heavy metals in baby and children’s food is all emblematic of a larger problem that I think the FDA is trying to get a handle on,” said Laurie Beyranevand, director of the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law and Graduate School. “I’m not sure if the FDA is doing it as quickly as people would feel comfortable with.”
After a major FDA investigation late last year into lead-contaminated apple cinnamon fruit puree, the FDA began screening cinnamon imports, followed by several warnings and recalls of some brands for elevated lead levels.
That prompted Consumer Reports to test brands across 17 mainstream and niche grocery stores.
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It found high levels of lead in 12 products, with levels reaching 3.5 parts per million.
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization has a proposed international safety standard of 2.5 ppm for spices that include cinnamon.
Anything above 1 ppm would trigger a recall in New York — the only state in the U.S. that regulates heavy metals in spices — Consumer Reports noted.
“There are some products in here that are up to three times that, which is concerning,” said Dr. Adam Keating, a pediatrician with Cleveland Clinic Children’s.
Keating’s primary concern is with children and pregnant women who ingested the cinnamon on a regular basis as opposed to just a single instance.
“A single sprinkle of cinnamon in a dose in one dish would be different than if they were eating the product every day,” said Keating, who was not involved in the Consumer Reports testing. “Regular ingestion of lead is the main concern that we have, particularly with children and pregnant women, because the most profound effect of lead is developmental delays and learning problems.”
The FDA currently does not set limits for heavy metals in spices, including cinnamon, although it does set limits for certain foods, such as candy made with sugar.
Last year, the agency proposed limits on lead levels in processed baby food that it says could reduce exposure to the contaminant by as much as 27%. Those guidelines are not expected to be finalized until next year, however.
“I’m not totally sure why they have not done that yet,” Beyranevand said. “Maybe it’s difficult to do in a number of different products, but it feels like at least with cinnamon, given the prevalence of the findings and the fact that there’s been so much lead, it feels like it would move the agency to set some sort of action level.”
The FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lead exposure can be harmful to people of all ages, Keating said, but it is particularly dangerous for children. High levels of lead can lead to serious health problems in kids, including learning and behavior issues, reduced IQ and damage to the brain and nervous system, according to the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, lead exposure can cause hearing and speech problems.
Many children may not have any obvious symptoms, Keating said. He recommended that parents get their children in for routine lead screening at 1 and 2 years of age.
Consumer Reports advised people to check their homes for the products and throw them out.
The consumer product testing group also said that people might consider sticking with mainstream brands.
Of the 12 products that contained high levels of lead, 10 of them were from relatively unfamiliar brands sold mainly in small markets specializing in international foods, according to the report’s findings.
The FDA has wound down some of its response efforts to its cinnamon applesauce investigation but will continue to monitor other products in stores for high lead levels.
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