Spices evoke feelings of comfort, cultural belonging and vacations. They can do our the houses smell amazing and our food is delicious. They can satisfy our cravings, expand our culinary horizons, and help us eat things we wouldn’t normally enjoy. The spices have beneficial properties for health And, in medicine, have been used to heal people since ancient times.

But recently, spices have had a bad reputation.

In September 2024, Consumer Reports, a nonprofit organization created to inform consumers about products sold in the United States, investigated more than three dozen ground cinnamon products and found that one in three products contained lead levels above 1 part per million, enough to trigger a recall in New York, a US state that has guidelines published for heavy metals in spices.

The Food and Drug Administration has published three alerts throughout 2024warning consumers about lead in some brands of cinnamon products. Such reviews rightly put consumers on alert and question whether the spice products they are purchasing are safe – or not.

A Consumer Reports investigation of more than three dozen ground cinnamon products found that one in three products contains lead levels above 1 part per million.

Inasmuch as environmental epidemiologist with training in nutritional sciencesI studied the relationship between nutritional status, diets and heavy metal exposure in children.

There are several things consumers should think about when it comes to lead – and other heavy metals – in cinnamon.

Why is lead found in cinnamon?

Most people know cinnamon in two forms: sticks and ground spices. Both come from the dried inner bark of the cinnamon tree, which is harvested after a few years of cultivation. For the American market, cinnamon is widely imported from Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India and China.

Lead could accumulate in cinnamon bark when the trees are grown in contaminated soil. Lead can also be introduced into cinnamon products during processing, such as grinding.

When ground cinnamon is prepared, some producers may intentionally add lead compounds to improve the weight or color of the product and thus obtain a higher selling price. This is called “food adulteration,” and products known or suspected to be adulterated are refused entry into the United States.

However, as of fall 2023, approximately 600 cases of elevated blood lead levels in the United States, defined as levels at or above 3.5 micrograms per deciliter – primarily in children – were linked to the consumption of some brands of cinnamon applesauce. Lead levels in the cinnamon used to make these products ranged between 2,270 and 5,110 parts per million, indicating food adulteration. The manufacturing plant was investigated by the FDA.

More broadly, spices purchased from sellers in the United States have lower lead levels than those sold overseas.

There is evidence that cinnamon sticks contain less lead levels than ground spices. Lead levels in ground cinnamon sold in the United States analyzed by Consumer Reports ranged from 0.02 to 3.52 parts per million. These levels were at least 1,500 times lower than those of adulterated cinnamon.

There are no federal guidelines regarding lead or other heavy metals in spices. The State of New York proposed even stricter guidelines than its current level of 1 part per millionwhich would allow the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets to remove products from commerce if lead levels exceed 0.21 parts per million.

What does “the dose makes the poison” mean?

The current FDA Guideline on Daily Intake of Lead from Diet overall is to limit lead consumption to 2.2 micrograms per day for children. For women of childbearing age, this value is 8.8 micrograms.

The amount of lead we are exposed to from food depends on the level of lead in the food and the amount of that food we eat. Higher doses mean more potential harm. How often we consume food – that is, daily rather than occasionally – also matters.

For spices like cinnamon, the amount and frequency of consumption depends on cultural traditions and personal preferences. For many, cinnamon is a seasonal spice; others use it all year round in savory dishes or sauces.

Cinnamon is popular in pastries. Take a cinnamon roll recipe that calls for 1.5 tablespoons (just under 12 grams) of spice. If a recipe makes 12 rolls, each will contain about 1 gram of cinnamon. In the Consumer Reports investigationsome cinnamon products have been classified as “good to use” or “better to use.”

The highest value of lead in cinnamon products in the “good to use” category was 0.87 parts per million, and in the “best to use” category it was 0.15 parts per million . A child would need to consume 2.5 or more rolls made with “acceptable for use” cinnamon to exceed the FDA guideline for limiting lead intake in foods to 2.2 micrograms per day, assuming No other food contains lead. To exceed this guideline with “best use” cinnamon, a child would have to eat 15 rolls or more.

Can cinnamon contribute to high blood lead levels?

Due to the developmental effects of lead in early life, the greatest concern is exposure of young children and pregnant women. Lead is absorbed in the small intestine, where it can hold on to the cell phone receptors which evolved to transport iron and other metals.

The impact of a contaminated spice on a person’s blood lead level depends on the exposure dose and the proportion of lead available for intestinal absorption. For several spices, the the proportion of available lead was 49%which means that about half of the ingested lead will be absorbed.

Lead absorption is higher after a fast of three hours or moreAnd leap breakfast may contribute to higher blood lead levels in children.

People with nutritional deficiencies, such as iron deficiency, also tend to absorb more lead and have higher blood lead levels. In fact, our body compensates for this deficiency by producing more receptors to capture the iron present in food. Lead takes advantage of additional receptors to enter the body. Young children and pregnant women are at higher risk of developing iron deficiency. So there are good reasons to do so. vigilant about lead in food they consume.

Studies show that among children with lead poisoning in the United States, children with lead poisoning spices were one of the several sources of lead exposure. Studies that estimate blood lead levels from statistics models suggest that daily consumption of 5 micrograms or more of lead from spices could contribute significantly to elevated blood lead levels.

For occasional or seasonal consumption or for lower levels of contamination, further research is needed to understand how lead in spices would affect blood lead levels.

For people who have other sources of lead in their home, work, or play, additional lead from foods or spices may be more important because it adds to the cumulative dose from multiple exposure sources .

How to Test for High Blood Lead Levels

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children at risk of lead exposure have a blood lead test at ages 1 and 2. Older children can also be tested. Finger prick screening tests are often available in pediatric offices, but results may need to be confirmed with venous blood if the screening result is high.

Adults in the United States are not routinely tested for lead exposure, but concerned couples planning to have children should talk to their health care providers.

What to Consider When Using or Buying Cinnamon or Other Spices

If the product is on a FDA Alertor, the Consumer Reports “do not use”list, throw it away.

Other questions to consider are:

• Does your household use spices frequently and in large quantities?

• Do young children or pregnant women in your household consume spices?

• Do you typically consume spices in breakfast foods or drinks?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, buy good quality products from large, reputable sellers. Consider using cinnamon sticks if possible.

And keep enjoying the spices!

Katarzyna Kordas is an associate professor of epidemiology and environmental health at the University at Buffalo. This article is republished from The conversation under a Creative Commons License. Read the original article.