Dangerous Levels of Lead Identified in Cinnamon

HBR
A new investigation by the nonprofit Consumer Reports has found that some cinnamon powders may contain unhealthy amounts of lead.

Food safety scientists with Consumers Reports recently tested 36 ground cinnamon items and spice blends made with cinnamon, such as garam masala and five-spice powder, and found that one-third contained lead levels so high that “you should never use them.”

James Rogers, PhD, Consumer Reports’ director of food safety research and testing, stresses that as little as ¼ teaspoon of these products exceeds the quantity anyone should ingest in a single day.

“Even small amounts pose a risk because lead can accumulate in the body and there can be multiple sources in your diet, so it adds up,” he says.

The findings come after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a series of alerts over several months urging people to dispose of or stop using 17 specific ground cinnamon products due to excessive lead content.

Last fall, more than 500 people — many of them children — were sickened by extremely high concentrations of the metal in three brands of cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches, which led to a massive recall of these items.

How Lead Harms the Body

Lead diffuses into soft tissues such as the kidneys, brain, and liver and then is distributed to bones, teeth and hair as lead phosphate. This heavy metal generates free radicals, compounds that lead to so-called oxidative stress and cell damage.

Heightened amounts of lead in the body can cause high blood pressure, kidney and brain damage, infertility, and impotence.

“Children and pregnant women should particularly limit lead exposure, given the long-term irreversible cognitive deficits caused,” says Jenna Forsyth, PhD, a research scientist with Stanford University’s King Center for Global Development, who works on an initiative to reduce lead exposure in Bangladesh. “However, anyone can be adversely affected by excessive lead intake, as lead is linked to adverse health outcomes for children and adults, including IQ loss, renal (kidney) failure, and cardiovascular disease.”

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