United States: ALB Flavour brand cinnamon powder is being recalled because it may have high levels of lead, according to the FDA.
As reported by NBC News, the product, distributed by ALB-USA Enterprises in the Bronx, New York, was sent to stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New York. Packaged in 100-gram plastic bags with brown cartons featuring images of cinnamon powder and sticks, consumers are advised to stop using it and return it for a refund.
Previous and Ongoing Recalls
The recall which was basically issued Friday and follows a separate alert from the FDA last week about an additional cinnamon product sold in the United States that has been contaminated with lead.
This alert involved the ground cinnamon and sold as El Servidor and distributed by an Elmhurst New York company of the same name.
The new cases join a growing list of cinnamon products identified by the FDA to contain high levels of lead.
Through testing the El Servidor cinnamon was found to have elevated lead levels at 20 parts per million while the FDA does not have limits for lead level in the spices like cinnamon.
The FDA does not have any particular limits on the lead levels in the spices and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization has a proposed international safety standard of 2.5 parts per million of lead for the bark spices like cinnamon.
Growing Concern Over Contaminated Spices
The FDA asked the distributor to voluntarily recall the product and the agency advised consumers to stop using the product and throw it away.
In March, the FDA has already warned about the lead in the cinnamon sold at the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar and other stores, those products had levels of lead ranging from 2.03 to 3.4 parts per million.
Also, the one sample of cinnamon used in the previously recalled WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree was found to have 5,110 parts per million of lead.
About the Author
