Study of lead levels in major cinnamon brands shows 'troubling' results

Twelve cinnamon powders are on a "never use" list following a study of lead levels by food safety scientists.

Consumer Reports revealed that their test of 36 ground cinnamon products and spice blends containing cinnamon showed that a third of them "measured above 1 part per million of lead—the threshold that triggers a recall in New York, the only state in the U.S. that regulates heavy metals in spices."

Consumer Reports calls the findings "troubling," as the results "raised concerns for our experts, and we shared our data with New York officials so that they could investigate further."

On the "don't use" list are: Paras cinnamon powder, EGN cinnamon powder, Mimi's Products ground cinnamon, Bowl & Basket ground cinnamon, Zara Foods cinnamon powder, Three Rivers cinnamon stick powder, Yu Yee Brand five spice powder, BaiLiFeng five spice powder, Spicy King five spices powder, Badia cinnamon powder, Rani Brand and Deep cinnamon powder.

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The tests, which looked at products purchased from 17 stores in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and online. came after a lead poisoning outbreak last fall among more than 500 children "was traced back to the cinnamon in three brands of apple purée pouches," Consumer Reports said.

Shortly after the outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers to avoid various ground cinnamon products that have elevated levels of lead. 

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"If you have one of those products, we think you should throw it away," James Rogers, PhD, the director of food safety research and testing at CR said in the report. "Even small amounts of lead pose a risk because, over time, it can accumulate in the body and remain there for years, seriously harming health."

Manufacturers of two of the 12 products on the "don't use" list, Paras and EGN cinnamon powders, have said the products will be removed from the market, according to Consumer Reports.  Deep and Yu Yee said they tested their products or relied on tests from their suppliers.

FOX Business attempted to reach out to the makers of Badia, Mimi's Products, Three Rivers, Rani Brand and Bowl & Basket, but they did not immediately respond. Attempts to reach Zara, BaiLiFeng and Spicy King were unsuccessful.

According to Consumer Reports, a number of popular store brands were deemed acceptable. Costco's Kirkland Signature organic Saigon cinnamon, Walmart's Great Value ground cinnamon, and Trader Joe's organic ground cinnamon were among the 18 products on the "Okay to Use" list, while Whole Foods' 365 Whole Foods Market ground cinnamon and organic ground cinnamon were among the six "Best to Use," with their organic ground cinnamon having the least mount of lead with just 0.02 parts per million. 

Side effects of high lead exposure in children include permanent damage to the central nervous system, resulting in learning disorders, developmental defects and other long-term health problems, the FDA said in a previous press release. 

Adults suffering from chronic lead exposure could be at risk for kidney dysfunction, hypertension and neurocognitive effects, according to the FDA.

Lead is a naturally-occurring element in the Earth's crust, according to Laura Shumow, executive director of the American Spice Trade Association. Since cinnamon comes from the inner bark of Cinnamomum trees that come in contact with soil and groundwater, it "has the potential to take up trace amounts of lead that cannot be removed," Shumov said, adding that there is no way to remove lead from cinnamon once it is present.

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Lead can also enter cinnamon from processing equipment, storage containers and packaging, Rogers said. 

FOX Business' Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.