On October 10, 2025, the FDA added four more brands to its ongoing public health alert on ground cinnamon, bringing the total to 16 brands flagged for elevated lead.
The newest names are HAETAE, Roshni, Durra and Wise Wife.
According to coverage by Today, consumers should stop using the listed products and discard them.
The FDA has not been able to reach Haitai Inc., which makes HAETAE-brand cinnamon, so no recall has been issued for that brand yet.
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Where the lead alert came from
The expanded testing began in July 2024, after lead-tainted cinnamon in WanaBana applesauce pouches was linked to lead poisoning in young children.
Since then, every state-level cinnamon sample that comes back high gets added to the FDA's list.
The 16 brands currently on the list
The lead concentrations found by state inspectors in each brand run from about 2 parts per million at the low end to nearly 8 ppm at the high end.
CBS News and other outlets compiled the figures from FDA data.
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For context, the FDA has set a 1 ppm cap on lead in candy aimed at children, but there is no federal limit for lead in spices.
Brand | Lead (ppm) |
|---|---|
Super Brand Also read: New research: Just 2 days on a fully vegan diet can measurably change how your liver works | 7.68 |
El Chilar | up to 7.01 |
HAETAE Also read: These healthy green vegetables could be worth adding to your diet | 4.60 |
ALB Flavor | 3.93 |
SWAD Also read: After 25 minutes of sitting, your muscles may quietly start to clock out | 2.89 |
La Frontera | 2.66 |
Wise Wife | 2.49 |
Durra | 2.44 |
Supreme Tradition | 2.37 |
Asli | 2.32 |
Jiva Organics | 2.29 |
Roshni | 2.27 |
Compania Indillor Orientale | 2.23 |
Marcum | up to 2.22 |
Spice Class | 2.04 |
Shahzada | 2.03 |
What lead exposure actually does
Lead is especially dangerous for children, whose brains are still developing.
Even small, repeated exposures can lower IQ, cause attention and learning problems, and show up as headaches, stomachache, poor appetite or constipation.
In adults, long-term exposure is linked to high blood pressure, kidney damage and heart disease. There is no exposure level considered safe.
A one-time dusting of cinnamon on an apple is not the issue. The concern is daily or weekly use from the same jar, where small doses add up over months.
A separate recall for Lior cinnamon
A different brand is also under recall. On September 24, 2026, Galil Importing Corp. recalled Lior Cinnamon Ground Seasoning in 90-gram transparent plastic containers.
The UPC is 794711005484 and the lot code is GAP11304. The Maryland Department of Health found elevated lead in a sample, according to Food Safety News.
The product was sold in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida and Illinois between November 2025 and September 2026. No illnesses have been reported.
What to do with a flagged jar
Daily cinnamon use is otherwise generally considered safe for most adults. It has been linked to small effects on blood sugar and cholesterol in some studies.
Those small benefits do not outweigh ongoing lead exposure from a contaminated jar.
If a jar matches one of the 16 flagged brands or the Lior lot above, do not use it. Toss it in a sealed bag in the trash, or return it to the store for a refund.
If someone in the home has been using it regularly, especially a child, mention it to a doctor and ask about a simple blood lead test.
This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.