FDA issues new warning about lead contamination in cinnamon

The US Food and Drug Administration has identified another cinnamon product sold in the US that is contaminated with lead.

The warning, released Thursday, said El Servidor ground cinnamon, sold by the Elmhurst, New York-based company of the same name, was the latest cinnamon product found to contain high levels of lead.

FDA testing found that the cinnamon had elevated lead levels of 20 ppm. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has proposed an international safety standard of 2.5 ppm lead for bark spices such as cinnamon.

In response to this discovery, the FDA has ordered El Servidor to recall its cinnamon product.

So far, no illnesses have been reported in the FDA warning. Those who still have the product are advised to stop using it and throw it away.

The cinnamon mentioned in the warning was sold in a New York City supermarket. The FDA noted that it is not clear whether it is sold in other areas.

Elevated levels can be extremely toxic to the body, especially for young children as their bodies are smaller and still growing.

When young children are exposed to high levels of lead, they may experience long-term neurological and developmental problems, such as learning disabilities and lower IQ.

Symptoms of lead exposure may include headaches, fatigue and stomach pain.