The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety warning Wednesday detailing several cinnamon brands – some of which are sold at Naperville stores – were contaminated with lead.
Where in Naperville was lead-contaminated cinnamon sold?
The FDA’s list included Patel Brothers’ Swad Cinnamon Powder, and Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon, available at both Dollar Tree and Family Dollar.
Patel Brothers is located 1568 W. Ogden Ave., Dollar Tree has five Naperville stores, and Family Dollar has one location in the city at 580 S. Route 59. Each store has since removed the contaminated cinnamon from their shelves.
The other brands found to have elevated levels of lead are La Fiesta, from La Superior SuperMercados; Marcum, from Save A Lot; MK, from SF Supermarket; and Eli Chilar, from La Joya Morelense.
The FDA recommends consumers immediately throw out any of the listed cinnamon, and not consume or serve it.
“Targeted survey” on cinnamon results in lead contamination findings
The discovery of the elevated lead levels in the above-named cinnamon brands came after an investigation into another tainted product. In October 2023, Florida-based company WanaBana recalled nearly three million cinnamon applesauce pouches with lead contamination.
Routine blood screenings found a spike in blood lead levels in children who consumed the apple cinnamon puree and applesauce pouches. Results found the impacted children had lead levels eight times higher than the level that raises concerns, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
In total, there were over 450 cases of lead poisoning across 44 states.
This led the FDA to launch a “targeted survey” of cinnamon items sold in discount stores. They discovered six cinnamon distributors had offerings with lead levels ranging from 2.03 to 3.4 parts per million. The lead contamination range found was smaller than WanaBana’s pouches, which varied from 2.27 to 5.1 parts per million of lead.
No illnesses have been reported from this current cinnamon contamination, the FDA said.
The FDA said it does not know how the cinnamon currently being recalled became contaminated with lead. Lead can sometimes be found in the soil of growing cinnamon and absorbed naturally. Lead chromate powder or other lead-containing compounds might also be illegally added to increase the spice’s weight when sold by the pound, or be used as a coloring agent.
On Tuesday, the FDA sent a letter to cinnamon manufacturers, processors, distributors, and facility operators detailing that the group is required to investigate for chemical hazards in all foods, including spices.
Lead exposure dangerous for both children and adults
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lead exposure can be harmful to adults, but especially children, as it can cause behavior and learning problems and lower IQs.
The World Health Organization says young children absorb up to four to five times as much lead as adults.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!
