Is cinnamon powder safe? High levels of lead were found in many samples, according to a group

Over the past year, an increasing number of cinnamon products have been recalled in the United States due to their high lead content. Most recently, Consumer Reports found a worrying amount of the toxic metal in a third of the cinnamon powder purchased at more than a dozen grocery stores in the Northeast.

There is no safe amount of lead to consume. At the same time, it is not possible to completely eliminate the heavy metal from food because lead is a naturally occurring element in the Earth's crust. Traces of it can enter the food supply in a variety of ways, including in places where food is grown, raised or processed, experts say.

However, recent findings raise the question of why the US Food and Drug Administration has not yet proposed limits for lead in foods for young children.

“This cinnamon and lead problem and other problems with heavy metals in baby and children's food are 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 the Vermont Law and Graduate School. “I'm not sure the FDA is doing that as quickly as people would like.”

Following a comprehensive FDA investigation late last year into lead-contaminated apple cinnamon fruit puree, the FDA began reviewing imported cinnamon products, resulting in several warnings and recalls of some brands due to elevated lead levels.

This prompted Consumer Reports to test brands such as Badia, McCormick and Morton & Bassett, as well as smaller brands, in 17 mainstream and niche grocery stores.

High lead levels of up to 3.5 ppm were found in 12 products.

According to Consumer Reports, Paras cinnamon powder contained the highest lead levels at 3.52 ppm. Another brand, EGN cinnamon powder, had levels as high as 2.91 ppm, according to the report. Badia, a common brand of cinnamon powder, had levels as high as 1.03 ppm, according to the report.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has proposed an international safety standard of 2.5 ppm for spices containing 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.

“Some products here contain up to three times as much, which is concerning,” said Dr. Adam Keating, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children's.

Keating is especially concerned about children and pregnant women who have consumed cinnamon regularly and not just once.

“A single pinch of cinnamon in a serving would be different than if they were eating the product every day,” said Keating, who was not involved in Consumer Reports' testing. “Regular lead ingestion is our biggest concern, especially in children and pregnant women, because the most serious effects of lead are developmental delays and learning problems.”

The FDA does not currently set limits for heavy metals in spices (including cinnamon), but there are limits for certain foods, such as candies made with sugar.

Last year, the agency proposed limits on lead in processed baby food that could reduce exposure to the contaminant by as much as 27 percent, but those guidelines are not expected to be finalized until next year.

“I'm not entirely sure why they haven't done that yet,” Beyranevand said. “Perhaps it's difficult with a number of different products, but at least with cinnamon, given the frequency of the findings and the fact that there's so much lead present, it seems like this would prompt the agency to set some sort of threshold for action.”

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 especially dangerous for children. High lead levels can cause serious health problems in children, including learning and behavioral problems, reduced IQ and damage to the brain and nervous system, according to the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, lead exposure can cause hearing and speech problems.

Many children may not have obvious symptoms, Keating said. He recommended that parents take their children for routine lead screening at ages 1 and 2.

The consumer protection organization “Consumer Reports” advised people to search their homes for such products and then throw them away.

The consumer product testing group also said people may want to consider sticking with mainstream brands.

Of the 12 products with high lead content, 10 came from relatively unknown brands sold mainly in small stores specializing in international food, the report's findings show.

The FDA has partially scaled back its response to the cinnamon applesauce investigation, but will continue to monitor other products in stores for high lead levels.