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Attention pumpkin spice lovers: Unsafe lead found in many cinnamon brands

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Published  September 26, 2024 9:16am CDT
Sullivan's Smart Sense
FOX 26 Houston

Dangerous levels of spice found in common cinnamon brands

It's pumpkin spice season, but a new report reveals lead in some cinnamon brands. What does this mean for your favorite seasonal drink? Let’s check in with consumer reporter Heather Sullivan!

The Brief 

    • As pumpkin spice season kicks into gear, a new report raises alarms about unsafe lead levels found in 12 popular cinnamon brands, a key ingredient in many fall favorites. 
    • Consumer Reports discovered that some brands contained lead levels exceeding safety limits, prompting caution for consumers. 
    • Experts advise checking your pantry and discarding any affected products to ensure your family's safety while enjoying seasonal treats.

Houston - Pumpkin spice lovers are sipping away on their favorite hot beverages this time of year.

But a new report found unsafe levels of lead in 12 brands of cinnamon.  Cinnamon is a key ingredient in pumpkin spice as well as many other foods, including baby food and spice blends, and international cuisines like Indian, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Mexican foods.

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Consumer Reports says it tested 36 brands of cinnamon and found unsafe levels of lead in 12 common brands.  They say the levels were more than what is allowed in the State of New York. Three tested over the limit set by the American Spice Trade.

Some of the brands Consumer Reports found to have high lead levels include Paras Cinnamon Powder, EGN Cinnamon Powder, Mimi's Ground Cinnamon, and Five Spices Powder by Spicy King and Yu Yee.

Lead has been found in cinnamon before.  

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined several ground cinnamon products contained elevated levels of lead, cautioning that prolonged exposure to these products may be unsafe.

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The FDA also recalled millions of apple cinnamon pouches last year that the Centers for Disease Control say were linked to 400 poisonings.

The World Health Organization says elevated lead levels can lead to low birth weight or miscarriage for pregnant women, and brain and nervous system development issues in children.

"This could result in developmental delays, behavior problems, learning problem.  And for adults, it’s been reported people exposed to lead can have problems with reproduction, kidney damage, tension and immune system suppression," explained James Rogers, Director of Food Safety Research and Testing at Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports says a quarter teaspoon of the cinnamon products that it found had high lead levels is more lead than is safe to consume in a day.

So how concerned should you be about Pumpkin Spice products?

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"We always say with our reports, 'don’t’ panic,' because we’re talking about a long term, not an acute threat.  But we also say we want you to be an informed consumer so that you can shop for those products," explained Rogers.

Some products Consumer Reports says had the lowest levels of lead are 365 Whole Foods Market Ground Cinnamon, Loisa Organic Cinnamon, Morton & Bassett San Francisco Organic Ground Cinnamon, Sadaf Cinnamon Powder, and Sadaf Seven Spice blend.

Rogers says most well known spice brands tend to have the lowest levels, but don't assume organic products are lead-free because that wasn't always the case.

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He suggested consumers go through their pantries.  If you have cinnamon from the list of brands found to have high lead levels, Consumer Reports says throw it out.  

The Source 

  • This story contains information from Consumer Reports, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO).