Cinnamon is a popular ingredient for baked goods and other savory dishes. Be wary of which spice brand you are using.
It has been said “Variety is the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor.” But flavor additives can also be dangerous.
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit that helps assess the safety and performance of goods, found high levels of lead in cinnamon powder and multi-spice powders from 12 brands — including Paras, EGN, Mimi's Products, Bowl & Basket, Rani Brand, Zara Foods, Three Rivers, Yu Yee Brand, BaiLiFeng, Spicy King, Badia and Deep.
The ground cinnamon powders and spice blends tested by Consumer Reports showed lead levels above 1 part per million, which is a level used by New York state to indicate products that should be recalled, according to the nonprofit. Consumer Reports' food safety experts advised people to "avoid those products." Throw it out.
Paras cinnamon powder had the most lead containing 3.52 ppm, according to the report. The lead content in the other cinnamon and multi-spice products Consumer Reports suggested people avoid are:
- EGN cinnamon powder (2.91 ppm)
- Mimi's Products ground cinnamon (2.03 ppm)
- Bowl & Basket ground cinnamon (1.82 ppm)
- Rani Brand ground cinnamon (1.39 ppm)
- Zara Foods cinnamon powder (1.27 ppm)
- Three Rivers cinnamon stick powder (1.26 ppm)
- Yu Yee Brand five spice powder (1.25 ppm)
- BaiLiFeng five spice powder (1.15 ppm)
- Spicy King five spices powder (1.05 ppm)
- Badia cinnamon powder (1.03 ppm)
- Deep cinnamon powder (1.02 ppm)