FDA updates list of cinnamon with high lead levels to include 21st product

The Food and Drug Administration has updated its list of cinnamon products with dangerously high levels of lead, bringing the total to 21.

The alert now includes Wise Wife brand ground cinnamon from SLR Food Distribution Inc., of Hicksville, NY. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Analytical Chemistry collected and analyzed samples of this product and found elevated levels of lead.

SLR Food Distribution Inc. has recalled its Wise Wife brand ground cinnamon labeled with UPC: 0688474302754 and a best before date of April 25, 2027. 

The recalled product is packaged in a 110 g (3.88 oz) clear plastic container with a black screw-top cap. It was distributed to retail stores and grocery stores in Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin between Sept. 8, 2025, and June 28, 2026.

This marks the third time this year that the FDA has updated the list of cinnamon products on the warning list.

“The FDA is taking the additional step in issuing a third public health alert this year for ground cinnamon to ensure the safety of ground cinnamon used in foods that are frequently consumed by babies and young children,” according to the alert.

The products on the list have elevated lead levels ranging from 2.03 to 7.68 parts per million. These levels are significantly lower than the levels of lead associated with the WanaBana cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products recalled in the fall of 2023, which had between 2,270 ppm to 5,110 ppm lead in the cinnamon. Hundreds of babies and young children were found to have lead levels higher then is safe after consuming the WanaBana products.

During the last year, prior to the recall of WanaBana apple puree and applesauce products containing elevated levels of lead and chromium, the FDA asked states to prioritize testing of ground cinnamon and other spices. 

Following the FDA’s targeted assessment of ground cinnamon products for lead and chromium and the FDA public health alert issued earlier this year, several states provided the FDA with data for samples of ground cinnamon collected through the Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM). This is a cooperative agreement with states to help investigate, monitor and remove adulterated foods from commerce and aid regulatory programs. 

Arkansas, California, Maryland, Missouri, Connecticut, and Virginia collected ground cinnamon samples through the LFFM, in addition to samples collected outside the LFFM from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, all included in this public health alert. 

The FDA is continuing to review sample results received from state partners who have been continuously sampling ground cinnamon at retail for elevated levels of lead and will update this alert as necessary if the FDA finds that additional products contain elevated levels of lead and that exposure to these products may be unsafe.

Based on FDA’s assessment, consuming these products could contribute to elevated levels of lead in the blood. Long-term exposure, months to years, to elevated levels of lead in the diet could contribute to adverse health effects, particularly for the portion of the population that may already have elevated blood lead levels from other exposures to lead. 

The potential for adverse health effects from consuming food contaminated with lead vary depending on the level of lead in the food; age of the consumer; length, amount, and frequency of exposure to lead in the food; and other exposures to different sources of lead. For example, the very young are particularly vulnerable to the potential harmful effects from lead exposure because of their smaller body sizes and rapid metabolism and growth. High levels of exposure to lead in utero, infancy, and early childhood can lead to neurological effects such as learning disabilities, behavior difficulties, and lowered IQ.

The products found to have elevated levels of lead are as follows:

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