People display cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon for a photo on March 2, 2008 in Concord, New Hampshire.
Larry Crow/AP
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Larry Crow/AP
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has added more brands to its major health alert for cinnamon due to lead contamination.
The agency said on Tuesday it conducted lead tests and found that brands such as Compania Indillor Orientale, ALB Flavor, Shahzada, Spice Class and La Frontera had lead levels ranging from 2.03 to 7.01 parts per million.
A new batch of brands included in the March alert have also been added to Tuesday’s alert, such as El Chilar, Marcum, SWAD and Supreme Tradition. Last week, El Servidor Cinnamon issued a warning because it contained 20 ppm lead.
In children, long-term exposure to high levels of lead can cause slowed development, brain and nervous system damage, behavioral and learning problems, and hearing and speech problems. The CDC says adults experience similar effects but are exposed to higher levels of lead.
No illnesses related to the alert have been reported.
“The FDA recommends that these companies voluntarily recall these products,” the agency said. “FDA will update this notice based on communications we receive from companies that voluntarily agree to recalls.”
What brands are included in the alert?
Consumers should discard affected cinnamon products, which include:
- El Chilar brand, lot numbers D181EX0624 and E054EX0225, both sold in Maryland, sold at El Torito Market
- Marcum brand, lot codes “BEST BY: 12/05/25 12 D8” and “BEST BY: 12/05/25 12 D11”, sold in Missouri and Virginia respectively, sold at Save-A-Lot
- SWAD brand, lot number “KX28223, best before October 2026”, distributed in Connecticut, sold at Patel Brothers
- Supreme Tradition brand, lot number “10A11, best before date: 10/06/25”, sold in California, sold at Dollar Tree
- Compania Indillor Orientale brand, lot number “08 2024 L1803231”, distributed in Connecticut, sold at Eurogrocery
- ALB flavor brand, batch number “Best before: 30/08/2025 – LA02”, distributed in Connecticut, sold at Eurogrocery
- Shahzada brand, lot number not provided, distributed in New York, available at Premium Supermarket
- Spice Class brand, batch number “Best by: 12/2026”, distributed in New York, sold at Fish World
- La Frontera brand, lot number not provided, distributed in New York, sold in Frutas Y Abarrotes, Mexico
Starting in October 2023, the FDA is recalling several brands of cinnamon-flavored applesauce bags, including WanaBana, Weis and Schnucks, because they may contain lead. The agency has been investigating whether the products were intentionally contaminated.
