PSA: Is YOUR brand's cinnamon too high in lead? CR ranks 36 brands

[kenny]

The 12 Cinnamon Powders You Should Never Use - Consumer Reports

Twelve of the 36 cinnamon powders and spice blends containing cinnamon had high levels of lead, according to Consumer Reports' testing.

www.consumerreports.org

NY state's recall threshold for lead is 1 part per million (ppm).
Of the 36 brands CR tested the highest was in Paras Cinnamon Powder, with 3.52 ppm
The lowest was in 365 Whole Foods MarketOrganic Ground Cinnamon, with 0.02 ppm.

Consumer Reports put the 36 brands into 3 categories Don't Use, Okay to Use, and Best to Use.

Which brand is in your kitchen now?
We have Kirkland Signature Organic Saigon Cinnamon, with 0.80 ppm.
Even though it's in the 'Okay to Use' category I'm tossing it and making a very rare trip to Whole Foods.

 

[pearlsngems]

We use Penzeys, which is within safe limits.

 

[stracci2000]

Huh.
I've been using Rani brand chai masala (tea spice blend) in my tea for years.
It takes me several years to go through a small jar of it, though. I use less than a pinch of it in one cup of tea every morning.
I wonder about other spices like cardamom, nutmeg, cumin etc.

 

[kenny]

...
I wonder about other spices like cardamom, nutmeg, cumin etc.

Indeed!
I just looked at my spice shelf and wonder what other evils are bottled up.

 

[Demon]

The 12 Cinnamon Powders You Should Never Use - Consumer Reports

Twelve of the 36 cinnamon powders and spice blends containing cinnamon had high levels of lead, according to Consumer Reports' testing.

www.consumerreports.org

NY state's recall threshold for lead is 1 part per million (ppm).
Of the 36 brands CR tested the highest was in Paras Cinnamon Powder, with 3.52 ppm
The lowest was in 365 Whole Foods MarketOrganic Ground Cinnamon, with 0.02 ppm.

Consumer Reports put the 36 brands into 3 categories Don't Use, Okay to Use, and Best to Use.

Which brand is in your kitchen now?
We have Kirkland Signature Organic Saigon Cinnamon, with 0.80 ppm.
Even though it's in the 'Okay to Use' category I'm tossing it and making a very rare trip to Whole Foods.

Thank you for this! I just ordered the 365 Whole Foods Market Organic from Amazon. I eat a lot of cinnamon!

 

[kenny]

Glad to help.

 

[Lookinagain]

Well my ground cinnamon is from Whole Foods, so that's the good news. My cinnamon sticks are from Badia. Not sure what to do about those, but I only use them once a year when making mulled wine for Christmas......

 

[kenny]

Well my ground cinnamon is from Whole Foods, so that's the good news. My cinnamon sticks are from Badia. Not sure what to do about those, but I only use them once a year when making mulled wine for Christmas......

Perhaps the lead in ground cinnamon comes from metallic tools that grind the whole cinnamon sticks into powder.
If so I'd worry less about sticks.
But if the lead comes from the soil itself ...

2 seconds of research produced this:

Lead can enter ground cinnamon through various environmental and manufacturing processes. One primary source is lead-contaminated soil, as cinnamon trees absorb lead through their roots, which then accumulates in the bark. Additionally, processing and packaging equipment tainted with lead can also contaminate the cinnamon.

 

[AdaBeta27]

Back when the news fist aired this issue, I pitched all of the cinnamon that I had and replaced it with McCormick. I'm glad that brand tested well.

 

[jeweln]

Glad that I have always used McCormick !