Photo: Ford, Brad
Federal, state and local health officials are issuing an urgent warning to consumers not to eat, sell or serve the identified ground cinnamon products purchased in the Portland area at Dollar Tree stores under the brand name Supreme Tradition because the product may contain high levels of lead. If there’s suspicion that someone, especially a child, has consumed the identified ground cinnamon, talk to your healthcare provider about getting a blood test.
On March 6, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a voluntary recall for six different ground cinnamon products sold by multiple distributors and vendors found to contain high levels of lead. Following the October 2023 recall of cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products due to elevated lead levels linked to the cinnamon in those products and the concern for lead toxicity in children, the FDA initiated a targeted survey of ground cinnamon products from discount retail stores and analyzed the samples for lead and chromium.
While there are six different brands that the FDA is advising consumers to avoid (La Fiesta, Marcum, MK, Swad, Supreme Tradition, El Chilar), officials believe only one brand — Supreme Tradition — may potentially have been sold at Portland area Dollar Tree stores.
These products have a long shelf life and consumers should check their homes for these products. If a person’s blood lead levels come back elevated, they should hold onto a sample of the cinnamon to provide to the Multnomah County Health Department for further testing.
“Currently, Multnomah County has no reports of any elevated blood lead levels associated with consumption of these ground cinnamon products,” said Perry Cabot, a senior program specialist at Multnomah County’s Health Department. “Parents or caregivers who think their child may have consumed the identified ground cinnamon should talk to their child’s healthcare provider about getting a blood test. There is no safe level of lead in the blood for children, and even low levels can have lifelong health impacts.”
Lead exposure in children is often difficult to see, and most children have no obvious immediate symptoms. Although lead can be diagnosed only through clinical testing, signs and symptoms of lead toxicity vary based on exposure. Short-term exposure to lead could result in the following symptoms:
- Headache
- Abdominal pain/Colic
- Vomiting
- Anemia
Longer-term exposure could result in additional symptoms:
- Irritability
- Lethargy
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches or muscle prickling/burning
- Occasional abdominal discomfort
- Constipation
- Difficulty concentrating
- Muscular exhaustibility
- Headache
- Tremor
- Weight loss
Multnomah County's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is an outreach and education resource and conducts investigations in response to elevated blood lead levels in children. The program works to identify the source of exposure and assist families with prevention strategies.
On average, 270 Oregonians are diagnosed with lead poisoning each year, and about one-third of those are children younger than six. For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program page.
People who have concerns about lead can contact the Multnomah County Leadline at 503-988-4000 or leadline@multco.us. Interpretation is free.
Consumers who have a complaint or adverse event (illness or serious allergic reaction) are encouraged to call the Oregon Consumer Complaint Coordinator or report the product through FDA’s Online Reporting Form.
Source: Multnomah County Health Department