Is cinnamon powder safe? High lead levels found in many samples, group says
A growing number of cinnamon products have been recalled in the U.S. due to high levels of lead.
Over the last year, a growing number of cinnamon products have been recalled in the U.S. due to high levels of lead. More recently, Consumer Reports found a concerning amount of the toxic metal in a third of cinnamon powders purchased from more than a dozen grocery stores in the Northeast.
There is no safe limit of lead to consume. At the same time, completely eliminating the heavy metal in food isn’t feasible, because lead is a naturally occurring element in the Earth’s crust. Trace amounts can infiltrate the food supply in various ways, including in places where foods are grown, raised or processed, experts say.
However, the recent findings raise questions about why the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t already proposed limits on lead in foods meant for young children.
“This issue with the cinnamon and the lead and other issues with heavy metals in baby and children’s food is 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 Vermont Law and Graduate School. “I’m not sure if the FDA is doing it as quickly as people would feel comfortable with.”
After a major FDA investigation late last year into lead-contaminated apple cinnamon fruit puree, the FDA began screening cinnamon imports, followed by several warnings and recalls of some brands for elevated lead levels.
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