Two more products have been added to the widespread recall of cinnamon due to fears that they may be contaminated with high levels of lead.
Gutierrez Distributor of Passaic, New Jersey, is recalling Gutierrez and El Server Corp. brand ground cinnamon. The FDA shared the news as a public service announcement.
El Servidor Corp’s cinnamon was distributed in New York retail stores beginning in January 2024 and is sold in a 1.5 oz clear bag. The Gutierrez brand was sold to retailers who purchased cinnamon in a cash and carry store, also in a 1.5 oz clear bag.
The cinnamon product recalls began in October, when bags of cinnamon applesauce were recalled for the same reason. Six other brands of ground cinnamon were recalled shortly afterward.
El Servidor Corp cinnamon, sold to consumers in New York in a 1.5-ounce bag starting January 2024
Two more batches of cinnamon products were recalled in March, and additional products were added earlier this month.
Now, new brands of ground cinnamon have entered the list.
Distributor Gutierrez has not reported any illnesses associated with the contamination, and instead said independent testing by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets prompted the recall.
The FDA announcement It was not specified how the products could have been contaminated with lead.
There are many different ways the spice could have been contaminated with lead: for example, through the soil in which it was planted, old equipment it came into contact with, or lead pipes in the facilities where it was processed.
Once consumed, lead can travel throughout the body through the blood and settle in soft tissues such as the kidney, liver or lungs, damaging those organs.
The severity of a reaction to lead depends on age, body weight and the amount of lead exposure. However, authorities have warned that there is no safe level of lead exposure.
At higher doses or with frequent exposure, it has been linked to behavioral problems, growth problems and learning difficulties in children, hundreds of whom have become ill in the past year.
The October applesauce recall was prompted in part by 69 cases of illnesses potentially linked to the products, affecting children under the age of six in 28 states.
And in adults, health agencies classified it as a Possible carcinogen. It can also cause kidney dysfunction, high blood pressure, and neurological problems.
Lead has been commonly used in construction because it is inexpensive, durable, and easy to mold, making it a popular material for machines, plumbing systems, and new construction. It was also a popular additive for paints, pesticides, and Even tableware in postwar America.
Given how widespread lead was in everyday materials, by the 1970s nearly nine out of ten American children had elevated levels of lead in their bodies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionBy 2008, that figure had dropped to about one in 100.
The toxic element is still used today to power batteries, but it has been removed from many environments that would contaminate food or water, and widespread awareness of its effects has made parents more vigilant about their children’s exposure to the product.