The Food and Drug Administration's ground cinnamon lead contamination recall has grown into one of the most expansive spice safety alerts in recent memory, expanding from six brands in March 2024 to at least 16 flagged products by late 2025. The agency has repeatedly warned that the affected ground cinnamon contains "elevated levels of lead"—a toxic heavy metal for which, health experts stress, there is no safe level in the human body. Because cinnamon is a pantry staple used in oatmeal, smoothies, baked goods, and curries, this recall reaches far beyond specialty spice racks and into everyday kitchens.
The alerts trace back to a nationwide investigation into lead-tainted cinnamon applesauce pouches that sickened hundreds of children in late 2023. When the FDA turned its attention to the ground spice itself, lab tests found that dozens of products—many sold at discount chains such as Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Save a Lot, and Patel Brothers—contained unsafe amounts of lead. The list has kept growing ever since, drawing in brands including El Chilar, La Fiesta, Marcum, MK, Swad, Supreme Tradition, Super Brand, Asli, Jiva Organics, HAETAE, Roshni, Durra, and Wise Wife.
The bottom line for anyone who cooks with cinnamon: check your pantry now. Spices can sit on shelves for years, and the FDA is urging consumers to throw away any recalled product immediately and stop purchasing more.
Inside the Recall: How Lead Ended Up in Your Spice Rack
On March 6, 2024, the FDA issued its first public health alert for ground cinnamon, recommending recalls of six brands after tests revealed lead levels ranging from 2.03 to 3.4 parts per million (ppm). Those six products—La Fiesta, Marcum, MK, Swad, Supreme Tradition, and El Chilar—were widely distributed through discount retailers including Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Save a Lot, Patel Brothers, and smaller regional grocers such as La Superior and SuperMercados.
In its alert, the FDA stated that "prolonged exposure to these products may be unsafe and could contribute to elevated levels of lead in the blood." The agency urged consumers to stop using the products and throw them away, and asked manufacturers to voluntarily recall them from store shelves.
That initial warning was not the end of the story. Over the following months, the FDA continued testing ground cinnamon and kept finding more contaminated products. The recall expanded to include El Servidor in July 2024, then Super Brand and Asli in November 2024, and Jiva Organics in September 2025. By October 2025, four more names—HAETAE, Roshni, Durra, and Wise Wife—had been added, bringing the running total to 16 brands sold across the United States.
Timeline: From Applesauce Pouches to a 16-Brand Spice Recall
The cinnamon recall did not appear out of nowhere. It grew directly out of one of the most serious food-safety investigations of the decade.
- November 2023: The FDA and CDC begin investigating reports of children with elevated blood lead levels linked to WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches. Investigators ultimately identify cinnamon as the likely source of contamination.
- October 2023–April 2024: The CDC documents more than 560 children with elevated blood lead levels connected to the applesauce pouches, with reported blood lead levels ranging from 4 to 29 micrograms per deciliter.
- March 6, 2024: The FDA issues its first ground cinnamon alert, flagging six brands with lead levels between 2.03 and 3.4 ppm.
- July 2024: El Servidor ground cinnamon is added to the alert.
- November 2024: Super Brand and Asli are added.
- September 2025: Jiva Organics organic cinnamon powder is recalled for excessive lead.
- October 2025: HAETAE, Roshni, Durra, Wise Wife, and La Frontera are flagged, expanding the recall to 16 brands.
- Late 2025 onward: Additional products, including DEVI, BaiLiFeng, Lucky Foods, and Lior cinnamon, continue to be added as testing expands.
Why Lead in Cinnamon Matters: Health Risks and What Testing Found
Lead is a heavy metal that can affect nearly every system in the body, and public health agencies are clear that there is no safe level of lead in the blood. Children are especially vulnerable: even low-level, long-term exposure can contribute to permanent neurological damage, developmental delays, and learning and behavioral problems. In adults, lead exposure can contribute to high blood pressure, kidney damage, and reproductive issues. Symptoms of acute exposure can include a metallic taste, nausea, and abdominal pain.
The stakes are why the FDA has treated even relatively modest lead levels in cinnamon as a serious problem. The six brands flagged in March 2024 measured between 2.03 and 3.4 ppm. Later alerts flagged products with levels up to 7.68 ppm, and independent testing reported some samples as high as 10.7 ppm. For context, the cinnamon implicated in the 2023 applesauce investigation tested far higher—between 2,270 and 5,110 ppm—which is why the pouches caused such severe, rapid illness.
Independent testing has reinforced the FDA's concerns. Consumer Reports tested 36 ground cinnamon products and found that 12 contained unsafe lead levels, while only six brands were deemed safe for regular, daily use. The takeaway: even if your cinnamon brand is not on the current recall list, it is worth verifying it against the FDA's alerts, because contaminated lots have turned up across many different labels and retailers.
Where Things Stand Now: The Latest Brands and Lead Levels
As of the FDA's most recent update, the agency is recommending recalls of 11 ground cinnamon products with elevated lead levels ranging from 2.03 to 7.68 ppm, and it continues to add brands as new test results come in. The running list of flagged products now includes names sold at national discount chains and regional specialty grocers alike, underscoring how widespread the problem has become.
No illnesses have been specifically tied to the ground cinnamon products in the current recall—unlike the 2023 applesauce cases—but regulators stress that the absence of reported illness does not make the products safe. Because lead accumulates in the body over time, the health effects of regular exposure can take years to appear.
What Happens Next: How to Protect Your Kitchen
The FDA expects the recall list to keep evolving as testing continues across the spice supply chain. For consumers, the immediate steps are simple: check your cinnamon against the FDA's current list, throw away any recalled product, and do not repurchase it. Because ground spices have a long shelf life, even cinnamon bought months or years ago could be affected.
If you or your child regularly consumed a recalled cinnamon product, talk to a healthcare provider about whether a blood lead test is appropriate—especially for young children, who absorb lead more readily than adults. Going forward, consumers can reduce risk by choosing cinnamon brands that publish third-party heavy-metal test results and by keeping portions moderate, since lead exposure is cumulative.
The Bottom Line: What to Do If You Have Recalled Cinnamon
- Check your pantry against the FDA's current list of recalled ground cinnamon brands.
- Throw away any recalled product immediately—do not donate it or give it away.
- Do not repurchase flagged brands, and watch for updates as the recall expands.
- Remember that there is no safe level of lead, and children are most at risk.
- If concerned about past exposure, ask a healthcare provider about blood lead testing.
