Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Outbreaks & Recalls on January 15, 2025
About this time last year parents were worried about lead in cinnamon flavored applesauce pouches. Is that scare over?
Unfortunately, no.
While the cluster of illnesses involving WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches manufactured by Austrofood may have been in the news last year, additional cinnamon product recalls are still emerging. In fact, just last month another cinnamon recall was announced.
Here’s what we know about lead in cinnamon, and if your holiday treats could potentially be marred by metal.
Consumer Reports published an article explaining that the investigation into last year’s Austrofood cinnamon applesauce lead contamination may have been intentional. In a statement, an FDA spokesperson said, “The FDA can confirm that one of the theories the agency is exploring is the potential that the cinnamon contamination occurred as a possible result of economically motivated adulteration. Additional investigation needs to occur before FDA reaches any conclusions.”
Lead is often found in spices. It makes its way into them through the environment where it is grown or where it is processed.
In this case, the adulteration refers to bulking up spices with fillers to make the product appear to be of better quality or weigh more.
While Austrofood was not the cinnamon manufacturer, using the cinnamon ingredient produced by Negasmart, the company is still responsible for the quality of their finished product. A product with the primary consumer being children as young as six months old.
At least 125 children ages one to six years old fell sick between October 17, 2023 and January 16, 2024. The true number of those exposed is significantly higher.
This summer, the FDA issued a warning letter to Austrofood following inspection at their Ecuador facility.
The basis of the Austrofood warning letter involves the sale of food “adulterated” under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) because they “bear or contain an added poisonous or deleterious substance which may render them injurious to health.”
The facility inspection also revealed other serious violations. Namely, some involving the Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventative Controls for Human Foods.
The investigation revealed a lapse in hazard analysis, which if properly conducted, would have evaluated the “known or reasonably foreseeable hazard.”
Lead.
The rule requires food manufacturers to conduct hazard analyses to identify potential hazards and inact preventative controls to mitigate those risks.
Since cinnamon is a spice that may contain lead, and the ingredient is being used in a food product manufactured to children who will experience serious illness if exposed, the manufacturer should have placed controls in place to reduce risk and/or test products for lead.
Additional cinnamon recalls have been announced since then.
Other manufacturers such as:
Check the “manufactured by” information on the back of your spice bottle before using it in your holiday goodies.
The most recent recall came just last month. IHA Beverage of Commerce, California issued a recall for their Super Cinnamon Powder in a 4 ounce bottle “because it has the potential to be contaminated with elevated levels of lead.”
The recall was initiated following routine sampling by the Arkansas Department of Health, which revealed elevated levels of lead in the finished product. The company has ceased Super Dried Cinnamon Powder production while an investigation takes place.
Super Dried Cinnamon Powder
4 ounce container
UPC#610232012476
This product was distributed mostly through California retails stores. But it was sold to a few other stores across the country. The product was not sold online.
As of 11/18/2024 there have been no reports of illness or injury associated with Super Dried Cinnamon Powder. However, effects of cinnamon are often not apparent right away.
In addition to chronic exposure causing additional harm, the effects are often delayed. Most do not experience symptoms right away. Additionally, with children being the more vulnerable population when it comes to lead toxicity, other hurdles exist.
Children often cannot articulate their symptoms, so caregivers may overlook initial signs of illness as general fussiness or symptoms of another unrelated illness.
The growing body and mind of a child is particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead toxicity. Especially long-term exposure.
For example, if a child’s regular breakfast consists of oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon on most days, this could amount to long-term exposure.
Consuming lead-tainted cinnamon anywhere from weeks to months could cause permanent damage to the central nervous system. As a result, they may develop learning disorders, developmental defects, and other long-term health problems similar to those posed to adults exposed to lead.
Symptoms of lead toxicity can vary from person to person. Other factors may also come into play, such length of exposure and concentration of contamination. Short term exposure often results in acute symptoms such as headaches, abdominal pain/colic, vomiting, and/or anemia.
Longer-term exposure present more systemic symptoms, including:
As the penultimate holiday baking season approaches, be sure to check your pantry before you start to sprinkle or measure.
Spices often sit around for quite some time. How long exactly does it take someone who isn’t a baker to go through a jar of cinnamon or allspice? For this reason, recalls can be tricky. Unless the product was recently purchased, even if you saw it on the news the general public may not make the connection.
Protect your family. Check your spices.
If you or someone you know has been exposed to lead from contaminated food, seek medical attention as soon as possible. If you have consumed a product that has been recalled for the potential presence for lead or lead contamination and have been harmed as a result, you may have options to help.
An experienced Lead Poisoning Lawyer can help point you in the right direction for getting the appropriate diagnostic tests to confirm your situation. They can answer the questions you have, and even those you don’t yet know to ask.
If you wish to file a legal complaint, The Lange Law Firm, PLLC can help. Our talented team has helped many families with situations just like yours recover millions of dollars in product contamination and product liability lawsuits.
Call (833) 330-3663 or send an email for your free, no obligation, consultation.
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)