Ground Cinnamon At Discount Retail Stores May Contain Lead: FDA

(StraightNews.org) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that ground cinnamon sold by discount retailers could contain dangerous levels of lead and should be discarded by consumers. The agency said the product could be particularly hazardous to children.

An announcement by the federal agency urged companies to initiate a nationwide recall of the La Fiesta brand sold by La Superior and SuperMercados, the Marcum brand sold by Save A Lot stores, the MK brands sold by SF Supermarket, the MK brands sold by SF Supermarket, the El Chilar brand sold by La Joya Morelense, and Supreme Tradition, sold by Dollar Tree and Family Dollar.

It later confirmed that Dollar Tree and Family Dollar had already removed them from their store shelves.

The federal government sets limits on the amount of lead in food products, but it does not include spices. However, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization proposes an international safety standard of 2.5 parts per million for spice, including cinnamon.

The World Health Organization warns that there is “no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects.” Lead is a toxic metal, it notes, that is found in the Earth’s crust, and human exposure has caused significant health problems, particularly for children.

The WHO details potential health problems and says that when lead enters the human body, it travels to organs, including the kidneys, liver, and brain. It is also stored in the teeth, where it can accumulate. The health effects are severe and can cause intellectual development problems and affect behavior. Lead ingestion also impacts blood pressure and renal function and can cause anemia. Experts warn that its effects are irreversible.

In 2022, a study found that while figures are not conclusive, it is estimated that around half of the US population is routinely exposed to unsafe lead levels. It furthermore estimated that this has lowered the collective American intelligence quotient (IQ) by 824,097,690 points.