### Cinnamon and Lead Contamination: Should You Be Concerned?
Cinnamon rolls, with their inviting, spiced scent, are a cherished indulgence, particularly during autumn and festive times. Nevertheless, recent findings from Consumer Reports (CR) regarding lead contamination in cinnamon products have raised alarm among consumers. The report emphasizes lead presence in 36 ground cinnamon items, stirring fears, especially among parents, in light of the alarming lead poisoning of over 500 children linked to lead-contaminated cinnamon in applesauce pouches in 2024. But how concerned should we actually be about these results? Let’s explore the specifics.
#### What Did Consumer Reports Discover?
Consumer Reports assessed 36 ground cinnamon products from diverse sources, including supermarkets, specialty stores, and online platforms. The samples underwent analysis for lead levels, reported in parts per million (ppm), corresponding to milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg). CR flagged products with lead levels surpassing 1 ppm, a benchmark set by the state of New York for spice recalls. However, it’s crucial to highlight that New York is the only state with such a stringent threshold. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Union (EU) have more lenient limits, with the FDA alerting on products exceeding 2 ppm and the EU imposing a maximum allowable lead level in bark spices at 2 ppm.
Among the 36 products examined, 12 surpassed New York’s 1 ppm limit, but only three crossed the 2 ppm threshold established by the FDA and EU. The highest level detected was 3.52 ppm in a product by the brand Paras, followed by 2.91 ppm in EGN, and 2.03 ppm in Mimi’s Products. Both Paras and EGN stated they would voluntarily recall their items.
#### How Much Lead Is Considered Excessive?
Lead in food poses a significant issue since it acts as a neurotoxin, posing particular risks to children and pregnant women. Nonetheless, minute lead traces are naturally found in many foods, making complete avoidance nearly impossible. The critical question is the acceptable level of lead exposure.
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concur that no lead exposure level is wholly safe, yet they have set practical limits to reduce risk. The FDA utilizes an **Interim Reference Level (IRL)** to gauge the maximum daily lead intake that wouldn’t elevate blood lead levels beyond concerning thresholds. For children, the IRL is 2.2 micrograms of lead per day, whereas for pregnant individuals, it’s 8.8 micrograms per day.
Conversely, California enforces a significantly stricter limit under Proposition 65, setting the **Maximum Allowable Dose Level (MADL)** at 0.5 micrograms of lead per day. This limit is extremely conservative, being 1,000 times lower than the level where no observable harm has been noted in toxicology research.
#### How Much Cinnamon Would You Need to Consume?
Let’s simplify the math using a CR report example. Penzeys cinnamon, a well-known brand, had a lead level of 0.37 ppm. To determine how much cinnamon you’d need to ingest to hit either the FDA’s or California’s thresholds, we can figure the lead content in a standard serving.
A quarter teaspoon of cinnamon weighs about 0.005 kg. Given a lead concentration of 0.37 ppm, this serving contains approximately 0.185 micrograms of lead. For a child to reach the FDA’s daily threshold of 2.2 micrograms, they would need around 12 quarter-teaspoon servings (about a tablespoon) of Penzeys cinnamon in one day. To meet California’s stricter limit of 0.5 micrograms, they would have to consume roughly 2.7 servings, which CR rounds down to 2.
For a pregnant individual, achieving the FDA’s limit of 8.8 micrograms would necessitate around 48 quarter-teaspoon servings, or close to a quarter cup of cinnamon.
#### What About Products with Elevated Lead Levels?
Now, let’s examine those products with higher lead concentrations. The highest level included in the CR report was 3.52 ppm in Paras cinnamon. A quarter teaspoon of this cinnamon would consist of 1.76 micrograms of lead. A child could reach the FDA’s daily limit after consuming just 1.25 servings of this cinnamon, while they would surpass California’s limit with only a fraction of a serving.
Though these heightened levels are troubling, it’s essential to recognize that they remain significantly lower than the amounts found in the cinnamon that contributed to the devastating lead poisoning incident in 2024. The lead concentration in that specific cinnamon soared to an alarming 5,110 ppm, meaning a single quarter teaspoon contained 2,555 micrograms of lead—over 1,000
