Cinnamon and Spice but Not Necessarily Nice

Update: Since our original post on this recall, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made significant progress in its investigation. It announced that, in conjunction with the Ecuadorian authorities, it has traced the likely source of the contamination to an Equadorian cinnamon processor, now out of business. While it is not yet clear how the cinnamon became contaminated, officials have speculated it may have been intentional. Lead can be added as a coloring agent or to artificially increase the volume of spices.

In the wake of this recall, several of the families whose children were sickened have filed lawsuits. Many have also question whether FDA and companies are doing enough to ensure food sold into the United States is not contaminated. Some legislators are calling for tougher oversight and may put increasing pressure on FDA to act to restore public confidence in the safety of foods and spices imported into the United States.

What do eggnog, Christmas pudding, gingerbread cookies, and fruit cake all have in common? Cinnamon. But this year, the spice giving these desserts their holiday cheer could also come with a toxic level of lead. 

There has long been concern about heavy metal contamination of spices, particularly those purchased outside of the United States. Heavy metals, like lead, cadmium, and arsenic, can be present in the soil where spices are grown and can find their way into the plants from which the spices are harvested. This issue recently drew national attention due to a recall of apple cinnamon, apple puree, and apple sauce pouches due to high lead levels — in one case nearly 200 times the level permitted by the FDA guidelines. The FDA believes that the cinnamon used in these pouches is the culprit.

As of December 11, 65 children, all under the age of six, have reportedly been affected by the increased lead content in the pouches. These pouches were sold nationwide by international fruit and vegetable fruit producer and trader, Wanabana, who used cinnamon imported from an Ecuadorian company.

The recall highlights the FDA’s “Closer to Zero” initiative, which focuses on food intended for babies and young children, aiming “to reduce dietary exposure to contaminants to as low as possible, while maintaining access to nutritious foods.” Through Closer to Zero, the FDA plans to establish action levels for heavy metals in foods typically eaten by babies and younger children, and will work with industry players to monitor, implement, and enforce these levels. However, Closer to Zero has been slow to get off the ground. The program was started in response to two 2021 congressional reports finding that food products made for children had higher than expected levels of heavy metals, including lead. The FDA had originally hoped to set voluntary action levels by 2024, but it appears unlikely the agency will meet this goal. 

Although the recall understandably has parents and regulators worried, you don’t need to throw away your cinnamon or leave plain sugar cookies for Santa instead. According to the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA), the amount of lead that the bark of a cinnamon tree can absorb is much less than the amounts found in the pouches. This suggests the lead entered the cinnamon sometime after harvest. The ASTA says consumers should not worry about the safety of spices in the United States generally. The FDA is currently screening cinnamon imports and has noted that there have been no other reports of illness associated with the holiday favorite spice.