More kitchen spices recalled due to dangerous amounts of cancer-causing lead

Two more products are being added to the widespread recall of cinnamon over fears they are contaminated with elevated levels of lead.

The FDA said Gutierrez Distributor of Passaic, NJ, is recalling El Servidor Corp and Gutierrez brand ground cinnamon which may contain the metal linked to cancer and other health problems.

Cinnamon recalls started in October, when cinnamon applesauce pouches were recalled for the same reason. Six other ground cinnamon brands were recalled shortly thereafter. 

In March, two more lots of cinnamon products were recalled and earlier this month, additional products were added. 

Now, new brands of ground cinnamon have made the list. 

The El Servidor Corp cinnamon was distributed in retail stores around New York, beginning in January 2024, and is sold in a clear 1.5oz bag. 

The Gutierrez brand was sold to retailers purchasing cinnamon from a cash and carry store, likewise in a clear 1.5oz bag. 

The Gutierrez Distributor has reported no illnesses associated with the contamination, instead saying that independent testing conducted by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets prompted the recall. 

The FDA announcement didn’t detail how the products could have become laced with lead. 

There are many different ways the spice could’ve become contaminated by lead. This includes from the soil it was planted into, old equipment it came into contact with or piping with lead at the facility where it was processed.

Once consumed, lead can travel throughout the entire body via the blood and take up camp in soft tissues like the kidney, liver or lungs, damaging those organs. 

The severity of your response to lead depends on your age, body weight and the amount of lead you’re exposed to. However, officials have warned there is no safe level of lead exposure. 

In higher doses, or with frequent exposure, it has been linked to behavioral issues, growth problems and learning difficulties in children, hundreds of whom have been sickened in the past year.

The October applesauce recall was in part prompted by 69 cases of illnesses potentially linked to the products, affecting children under six years old across 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 had been used commonly in construction because it was inexpensive, durable and easily moldable – making it a popular material for machines, plumbing systems and new construction. It was also a popular additive to paint, pesticides and even dishware in Post WWII America. 

With how widespread lead used to be in every day materials, by the 1970s, nearly nine in 10 American children had high levels of lead in their system, according to the CDC. By 2008, that number had shrunk closer to one in 100. 

The toxic element is still used today to power batteries but it’s been removed from many environments that would contaminate food or water – and widespread awareness about its effects have made parents more vigilant about exposing their kids to the product.