Shoppers might want to double-check their spice racks as the Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about possibly lead-contaminated ground cinnamon being sold at several discount retail stores. Reported by USA TODAY, included in the alert are brands like Supreme Tradition, Marcum, and Swad, to name a few. These were distributed by a variety of discount retailers, with Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Patel Brothers among them.
The concern for lead is not fresh, harking back to last October when cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products were recalled. Sickening at least 460 children, the attention on cinnamon started after high levels of lead were detected in WanaBana brand fruit pouches. With the WRAL report, the FDA's expansive search for lead has brought to light several types of ground cinnamon sporting elevated, albeit comparatively lower, levels of lead up to 3.4 parts per million.
According to the lead exposure warning by the FDA, which the USA TODAY has also broadcasted, the health of children could be seriously compromised due to damage to the brain and nervous system, along with the potential for developmental delays and learning problems. However, consumers can take a sigh of relief as there haven't been any reported illnesses or adverse events linked to these recent findings thus far.
The FDA has strongly encouraged a voluntary recall of the impacted products. They advise consumers to discard any of the affected products and have praised the agency’s Closer to Zero initiative targetting the reduction of childhood exposure to lead. While no mandatory recall has been enforced, the consumer watchdog group U.S. Public Interest Research Group has criticized the adequacy of the current recall system. “If we know that a food is making people sick, the FDA should be able to tell the company behind it to recall that product, rather than asking and waiting to see whether the company complies," stated Teresa Murray of U.S. PIRG, as obtained by The Free Press. She added that time is a critical factor when tainted food remains accessible.
Dollar Tree Inc., yet to respond to the FDA's announcement, owns one of the chains where the contaminated product was sold. While the FDA is continuing to collaborate with manufacturers and retailers to eliminate unsafe products from shelves, concerned customers can check the FDA's website for lot codes and best-by dates of the products enlisted in the recall. The efforts to remove these ground cinnamon products from the market aim to reduce the contribution to elevated lead levels in the diets of children, fitting within the agency's broader initiative for a safer food supply.
