A rising number of cinnamon products have been recalled in the United States in the past year because of elevated lead levels. More recently, Consumer Reports discovered that a third of cinnamon powders bought from more than a dozen Northeastern supermarket stores contained an alarmingly high level of the hazardous metal.
There is no acceptable level of lead consumption. At the same time, as lead is a naturally occurring element in the Earth’s crust, it is not possible to totally remove the heavy metal from food. According to scientists, there are a number of ways that trace levels might enter the food chain, including through the cultivation, raising, or processing of food.
Nonetheless, the new research begs the issue of why the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t set lead content limits for meals intended for young children already.
Laurie Beyranev and, director of the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law and Graduate School, said, “I think the FDA is trying to get a handle on a larger problem that this issue with the cinnamon and the lead and other issues with heavy metals in baby and children’s food is all emblematic of.” “I’m not sure whether the FDA is moving as swiftly as people would like.”
Following a significant FDA investigation into lead-contaminated apple cinnamon fruit puree at the end of last year, the FDA started inspecting cinnamon imports, issued a number of warnings, and recalled certain products due to excessive lead levels.
Because of this, Consumer Reports tested lesser products as well as well-known brands from 17 mainstream and specialty food stores, including Badia, McCormick, and Morton & Bassett.
It discovered that 12 goods had significant lead concentrations, up to 3.5 parts per million.
Consumer Reports found that Paras cinnamon powder has the highest lead content, at 3.52 parts per million. Levels of another brand of cinnamon powder, EGN, were reported to have reached 2.91 ppm. According to the analysis, Badia, a popular brand of cinnamon powder, has level levels of 1.03 ppm.
For spices, including cinnamon, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has recommended an international safety guideline of 2.5 parts per million.
According to Consumer Reports, New York, the only state in the union that controls heavy metal levels in spices, would recall products if the level rose beyond 1 ppm.
It’s troubling that some of the items in this area are up to three times that, according to Cleveland Clinic Children’s physician Dr. Adam Keating.
Keating is more worried about pregnant women and toddlers who regularly consume cinnamon than she is about a single incident.
Keating, who did not participate in the Consumer Reports experiment, stated, “A single sprinkle of cinnamon in a dose in one dish would be different than if they were eating the product every day.” “The main concern that we have is regular lead ingestion, especially with children and pregnant women, as the most profound effect of lead is learning problems and developmental delays.”
Currently, the FDA does not set limits for heavy metals in spices, such as cinnamon, but it does set limits for certain foods, such sugar-filled candies.
The government put out restrictions on lead levels in processed baby food last year, claiming that these measures might cut exposure to the pollutant by up to 27%. But it’s unlikely that such regulations will be completed until the following year.
Beyranevand said, “I’m not entirely sure why they haven’t done that yet.” “Maybe it’s challenging to do in many different products, but it seems like the agency would set some sort of action level with cinnamon, given the prevalence of the findings and the amount of lead found in the product.”
When asked for comments, the FDA did not answer right away.
Keating stated that while lead exposure may be hazardous to individuals of all ages, children are more at risk. According to the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure to high amounts of lead can cause major health problems in children, such as damage to the brain and nervous system, lower IQ, and difficulties with behavior and learning. Lead exposure can also result in issues with speech and hearing.
According to Keating, many youngsters might not exhibit any overt symptoms. At the ages of one and two, he advised parents to have their kids in for routine lead screenings.
Consumer Reports suggested that consumers look for the goods in their homes and discard them.
The group conducting consumer product testing added that consumers could think about continuing to use mainstream brands.
The results of the study showed that, out of the 12 goods with high lead levels, ten were from relatively unknown companies and were mostly found in local marketplaces that catered to international cuisine tastes.
The FDA will keep an eye out for excessive lead levels in other items sold in stores even if it has scaled back part of its reaction efforts to its inquiry into cinnamon applesauce.
