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Lead in cinnamon brands Badia, EGN, Paras powder

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Cinnamon is a popular ingredient in baked goods and other savory dishes, but consumers should be more cautious about which brand of the spice they buy, as a recent report found high levels of lead in some companies' products.

Consumer Reports, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers evaluate the safety and performance of goods, found high levels of lead in cinnamon powder and multi-spice powders from 12 brands – including Paras, EGN, Mimi's Products, Bowl & Basket, Rani Brand, Zara Foods, Three Rivers, Yu Yee Brand, BaiLiFeng, Spicy King, Badia and Deep.

The cinnamon powders and spice blends tested by Consumer Reports had lead levels above 1 ppm, the level used by New York State to label products that should be recalled, according to the nonprofit. Consumer Reports food safety experts advised people to “avoid these products.”

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Just a quarter teaspoon of any of these cinnamon products contains more lead than a person should consume in a day, says James Rogers, director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports.

“If you have one of these products, we believe you should throw it away,” Rogers said. “Even small amounts of lead pose a risk because it can build up in the body over time and remain there for years, causing serious health damage.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, frequent lead exposure in adults can cause immune system suppression, reproductive problems, kidney damage, mood swings, cognitive disorders and high blood pressure. In children, lead exposure can cause slower growth and development, behavioral problems, seizures and other physical symptoms, the medical center said.

How much lead was found in the cinnamon and multi-spice powder products?

Paras cinnamon powder contained the highest lead level, at 3.52 ppm, according to the report. The lead levels in the other cinnamon and multi-spice products that Consumer Reports recommends avoiding are:

  • EGN Cinnamon Powder (2.91 ppm)
  • Mimi's Products ground cinnamon (2.03 ppm)
  • Bowl & Basket ground cinnamon (1.82 ppm)
  • Rani brand ground cinnamon (1.39 ppm)
  • Cinnamon powder from Zara Foods (1.27 ppm)
  • Three Rivers Cinnamon Stick Powder (1.26 ppm)
  • Yu Yee brand five-spice powder (1.25 ppm)
  • BaiLiFeng Five Spice Powder (1.15 ppm)
  • Spicy King Five Spice Powder (1.05 ppm)
  • Badia Cinnamon Powder (1.03 ppm)
  • Dark cinnamon powder (1.02 ppm)

Paras and EGN stop selling their cinnamon powder products

Following Consumer Reports' report, Paras and EGN informed the nonprofit that they would stop selling their cinnamon powder products and remove them from store shelves.

Deep and Yu Yee Brand told Consumer Reports that they had “tested their product or relied on testing by their suppliers.”

Mimi's Products cites analytical reports from its suppliers showing that “no lead levels above 1 ppm were found in our ground cinnamon,” a spokesperson for NAC Foods, the manufacturer of Mimi's Products, told USA TODAY.

Wakefern Food Corp., the owner of ShopRite Bowl & Basket, told CNN, “The quality of our products is of utmost importance and our cinnamon meets all safety and quality standards.”

Badia Spices' ground cinnamon products comply with all federal and international laws, a company spokesperson told the outlet.

USA TODAY contacted several other companies mentioned in the report but did not receive a response.

Which cinnamon products contain lower amounts of lead?

Consumer Reports also found some brands of cinnamon and spice products that were deemed safe after testing their lead content. Some of the brands and products include McCormick Cinnamon (0.23 ppm), Kirkland Signature Organic Saigon Cinnamon (0.80 ppm), Great Value Ground Cinnamon (0.79 ppm), Trader Joe's Organic Ground Cinnamon (0.69 ppm), Good & Gather Ground Cinnamon (0.56 ppm), Simply Organic Cinnamon (0.28 ppm), 365 Whole Foods Market Ground Cinnamon (0.12 ppm), 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Ground Cinnamon (0.02 ppm), and Sadaf Cinnamon Powder (0.04 ppm).

McCormick told Consumer Reports that it “monitors environmental conditions that may increase the natural occurrence of heavy metals.” Simply Organic said it has adopted New York state limits and conducts “extensive internal inspections and additional product testing for each shipment of incoming material,” according to the nonprofit.

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