A jar of ground cinnamon sitting in kitchens across six states has just been recalled by the Food and Drug Administration. Galil Importing Corp. is voluntarily pulling its Lior Cinnamon Ground Seasoning after testing turned up elevated lead levels, and the product was distributed to retail stores, grocery stores, delis and supermarkets in Texas, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania between November 18, 2025, and September 7, 2026.
Galil announced the recall on Thursday. As The Dallas Express reported, no illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled cinnamon as of the announcement.
The lead was discovered in a sample collected and analyzed by the Maryland Department of Health, according to the same federal notice.
What's In Your Pantry: Codes to Check
The recalled product is Lior Cinnamon Ground Seasoning, sold in 90-gram (3.2-ounce) transparent plastic containers, carrying UPC 794711005484 and lot code GAP11304, which appears on the side of the container beneath the ingredient line. Consumers should check both the UPC and lot code before using any Lior cinnamon still in their kitchen, and the FDA has advised anyone with the affected product to discard it or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
Consumers should not eat the affected cinnamon. Anyone with questions can contact Galil Importing Corp. directly at 516-496-7400, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time.
Why Lead Exposure Is Hard to Spot
Lead exposure can be dangerous precisely because it often produces no immediate or obvious symptoms. Short-term exposure to very low levels of lead may cause no symptoms at all, with an elevated blood lead level sometimes the only apparent sign that exposure occurred. The effects depend on the amount and duration of exposure as well as a person's age and body weight, and children are considered of particular concern.
Prolonged exposure to sufficient amounts of lead can cause permanent damage to the central nervous system and may result in learning disorders, developmental problems and other long-term health effects. The CDC's Blood Lead Reference Value is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter, and the agency emphasizes that medical research shows no safe level of lead in a child's blood, according to the CDC.
How Contaminated Cinnamon Keeps Turning Up
The FDA's 2023 investigation sought the source of tainted cinnamon in applesauce pouches. The agency also identified elevated lead levels in at least 18 different brands of ground cinnamon, according to CBS News. The brands were distributed nationally through grocery chains, online retailers and ethnic markets. Hoodline reported on a similar case in December when a Lucky Foods cinnamon recall in California was also triggered by state testing.
Ground cinnamon products flagged in FDA public health alerts have contained lead concentrations ranging between 2.03 ppm and 10.7 ppm, according to CBS News. Possible sources of lead in cinnamon include absorption from contaminated soil and processing equipment, the outlet reported.
In late 2023, the WanaBana cinnamon applesauce outbreak poisoned nearly 500 children nationwide, an event Hoodline covered when Pennsylvania cases were linked to tainted applesauce. That crisis was traced to a cinnamon-processing plant in Ecuador, according to the FDA.
In January, New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a $559,250 settlement with Dollar Tree after the company did not immediately stop sales of recalled WanaBana cinnamon applesauce products after receiving a recall notice, a case Hoodline detailed in its report on the $559K Dollar Tree settlement.
Galil's Response
Galil Importing Corp. of Hauppauge, New York, initiated the voluntary recall itself, notifying customers to stop distributing and selling the affected product and instructing them to place any remaining inventory on hold.
Galil has also begun an investigation of its supplier and implemented enhanced testing and supplier-verification measures intended to prevent a recurrence. For now, anyone holding a jar of Lior Cinnamon Ground Seasoning with lot code GAP11304 is being urged to stop using it, check the packaging, and either toss it or bring it back for a refund.
