Expanded Spice Recall Warns Consumers of Lead Contamination

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers about potentially dangerous lead contamination in a popular kitchen spice.

Recall notices shared to the FDA website on Monday warned that some “Spice Class” and “Shahzada” cinnamon powder products have “the potential to be contaminated with elevated levels of lead.” The recalls come after two other cinnamon powder brands were recalled last week over the same issue.

The Shahzada brand cinnamon powder was distributed to retail outlets in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts from January 1, 2024, to May 24, 2024, while the Spice Class “ground cinnamon” product was distributed in the New York City area from December 1, 2023, to May 15, 2024. Neither brand was sold online.

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The Spice Class ground cinnamon was sold in 7- and 11-ounce jars, each of which were labeled with the expiration date “12/2026.” The Shahzada cinnamon powder was sold in 7-ounce plastic bags. It was unclear whether the Shahzada product was labeled with an expiration date.

Cinnamon powder is pictured being scooped from a spice jar in this undated file photo. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration shared two additional cinnamon powder recall notices online Monday amid continuing concerns of potential…

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In both cases, consumers who purchased the recalled products were urged to “discontinue use of the product immediately and are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.”

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Customers were asked to contact the companies with any questions or concerns related to the recalls.

American Spices, LLC, which produces the Spice Class products, can be contacted via phone at 1-917-532-6768. Advance Food International, Inc., makers of the Shahzada product, are reachable at 1-718-482-0123.

The recalls were initiated after elevated lead levels were discovered in the cinnamon following analysis by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The companies and the FDA are investigating the source of the problem.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the FDA via email on Monday evening.

While no illnesses tied to the recalls had been reported at the time of publication, lead contamination presents a potentially grave health risk to consumers, with the potential to cause long-term damage to children in particular.

“It is possible that increased blood lead levels may be the only apparent sign of lead exposure,” both recall notices state. “If a child is exposed to enough lead for a protracted period of time (e.g., weeks to months) permanent damage to the central nervous system may occur.”

“For adults, chronic lead exposure is associated with kidney dysfunction, hypertension, and neurocognitive effects,” the notices continue.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is “no safe blood lead level,” as even low amounts can seriously harm the health of children. Most children have no obvious immediate symptoms but may later experience signs of brain damage or learning disabilities.

Short-term symptoms of lead poisoning include headaches, abdominal pain, colic, vomiting and anemia. Long-term exposure can result in irritability, lethargy, fatigue, muscle aches or muscle prickling/burning, constipation, difficulty concentrating, tremors and weight loss.