FDA warns consumers to discard cinnamon products with elevated lead

Federal health officials have added more brands of ground cinnamon to their health alert after discovering elevated levels of lead in the product.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in its latest update last week that HAETAE and Roshni brand ground cinnamon join a growing list of products considered unsafe due to high lead levels.

The FDA has continued to update its list of recalled cinnamon brands, now totaling 16, since issuing the original health alert in July. In its last update on October 10, the FDA said it was continuing to analyze cinnamon and review sample results from state partners who tested ground cinnamon at retail for elevated levels of lead.

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The agency said it will continue to update the public health alert as necessary if additional products are found to contain unsafe levels of lead.

The US Food and Drug Administration advises consumers to dispose of any cinnamon products listed in the health alert.

Study of lead levels in major cinnamon brands shows ‘alarming’ results

For the listed products, the FDA recommended that companies voluntarily recall their products, with the exception of HAETAE-branded cinnamon. The FDA said it was unable to reach distributor Haitai Inc. USA to share its findings and recommend that the company initiate a recall.

Ground cinnamon recall expands after ‘elevated lead levels’ discovered

During its evaluation, the Food and Drug Administration concluded that consumption of any of the mentioned products could contribute to high blood lead levels. It also warned that exposure to high levels of lead could contribute to adverse health effects, especially for those who may already have elevated blood lead levels as a result of lead exposure.

The potential for adverse health effects from consuming lead-contaminated foods varies depending on the level of lead in the food, as well as the length, amount, and frequency of exposure. Exposure to different lead sources and the person’s age are also factors.

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The FDA said younger people are “particularly vulnerable to potential harmful effects from lead exposure” because of their small body size and rapid metabolism and growth. High levels of lead exposure in utero, infants, and early childhood specifically can lead to neurological effects such as learning disabilities, behavioral difficulties, and lower IQ, federal health officials continued.

Last year, hundreds of lead poisoning cases were traced to recalls of apple juice products, underscoring the serious risks associated with contaminated food.

Applesauce bags that sickened more than 400 children in 44 states have been recalled. (FDA/Fox News)

WanaBana LLC began recalling WanaBana, Schnucks or Weis brand apple cinnamon bags — manufactured by Ecuador-based Austrofood — due to high lead levels last fall after four children in North Carolina developed “elevated blood lead levels, indicating the potential for acute lead toxicity,” according to health officials. Federalists.