Some ground cinnamon has tested high for lead, including recalled kids' applesauce pouches
Do this instead
- Throw out any cinnamon on the FDA's listLa Fiesta, Marcum, Supreme Tradition, Swad, MK (MTCI) and El Chilar. Cinnamon keeps for years, so check your cupboard.
- Buy spices from established brands and storesThe flagged cinnamon came mostly from discount and dollar stores.
- Ask your doctor about a lead test if you're worriedLead poisoning often has no obvious symptoms in kids.
The short version
In 2023, cinnamon applesauce pouches made for kids were recalled after the cinnamon in them was found to contain extreme levels of lead. The FDA suspects the cinnamon was deliberately adulterated. A follow-up FDA survey in 2024 found lower but still elevated lead in several ground cinnamon brands sold at discount stores.
The evidence
WanaBana apple cinnamon pouches were recalled in late October 2023, and the recall expanded to Schnucks and Weis cinnamon applesauce. One cinnamon sample measured 5,110 ppm of lead, about 2,000 times a proposed international limit for spices. The FDA investigated at least 65 child lead poisoning cases linked to the pouches.[1]
In March 2024 the FDA warned about six ground cinnamon brands, mainly from discount stores such as Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Save A Lot, with lead between 2.03 and 3.4 ppm. No illnesses had been reported from these.[2]
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