How Much Lead Is In Costco's Brand Of Cinnamon?

Open most kitchen spice cupboards and you'll likely see a jar of cinnamon front and center. This popular spice gets shaken into oatmeal, any number of baked goods and other desserts, even coffee. Unfortunately, a recent Consumer Reports investigation discovered that many folks are getting large doses of lead along with the cinnamon they're sprinkling into their food and drinks. Among the brands that the non-profit consumer organization looked into was Costco's private label brand Kirkland Signature Organic Saigon Cinnamon.

Consumer Reports' food scientists found that the Kirkland brand cinnamon they tested contained lead levels of .80 parts per million. This is not far below the limit of 1 parts per million of lead at which New York — the only U.S. state that regulates heavy metals in spices — begins recalling products. Consumer Reports listed the Kirkland cinnamon under the label "Okay to Use" but recommends consuming no more than ¼ teaspoons of this product daily. Lead can build up in the body over time and even small amounts can lead to health problems, especially in children, including developmental issues (via Mayo Clinic).

Consumer Reports' investigation came on the heels of the Food and Drug Administration's recall of several brands of cinnamon applesauce pouches in November 2023 after 500 children suffered lead poisoning, followed the next year by the agency warning consumers to stay away from 17 cinnamon products after finding high levels of lead in them. It's not just Costco's Kirkland brand that Consumer Reports say has a high level of lead.

Thirteen other brands tested higher, including Paras brand, which the food scientists found to contain 3.52 ppm of lead, the highest on the list. The company has begun pulling its product from its shelves. 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Cinnamon tested the lowest with .02 ppm and a recommended use of as much as 16 teaspoons a day. 

Lead can find its way into ground cinnamon in various ways, including through contaminated soil the tree that produces the spice grows in, problems during its production, or even, historically, the unscrupulous business practice of purposely adulterating the product to bulk up its weight. Cinnamon isn't the only food item found to contain high levels of lead. Dark chocolate brands and Lunchables, which Consumer Reports accused of containing a worrying amount of lead, are two others.