The FDA has asked six brands -- El Chilar, La Fiesta, Marcum, MK, Supreme Tradition and Swad -- to recall their ground cinnamon spices because they contain lead. The brands are sold in multiple stores nationally such as Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, La Joya Morelense, and Save A Lot. FDA encourages anyone who has these products to throw them away and reach out to a healthcare provider if they believe that may have had high exposure to lead.

After the recall on October 30, 2023, of WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit pouches, the FDA has been testing the lead levels of different brands of cinnamon spices and products containing cinnamon.

On March 6, 2024, the FDA announced that they are requesting that the brands El Chilar, La Fiesta, Marcum, MK, Supreme Tradition and Swad recall their cinnamon products because they contained lead. These brands are sold nationwide and can be found in the following stores: Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, La Joya Morelense, La Superior SuperMercados, Patel Brothers, Save A Lot and SF Supermarket.

While the levels aren’t as high compared to the apple cinnamon fruit pouches recalled in 2023, continued exposure to lead is harmful to children and those who are pregnant. Exposure to lead can impact the brain and nervous system, mental and behavioral health, speech, and hearing.

The FDA encourages those who purchased these products to not use them, throw them out and to reach out to a healthcare provider if they’ve had high exposure to lead.

In addition to requesting that the six brands recall the cinnamon products, the FDA also reminded all facilities where food is made to make sure that they are doing a detailed analysis to make sure that there aren’t any hazardous chemicals in their products.

The FDA’s search for items containing lead is ongoing and they will continue to provide updates.