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The FDA has added Wise Wife ground cinnamon to its public health alert, bringing the list of products with elevated lead levels to 21. The product was recalled after Connecticut testing found lead; it was distributed to stores in 14 states. The FDA says it is reviewing additional state testing results and may update the alert.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has added Wise Wife brand ground cinnamon to its public health alert for cinnamon products with elevated lead levels, bringing the list to 21 products. The product has been recalled after testing by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station found elevated lead, and it was distributed to stores in 14 states.
The recalled cinnamon was distributed by SLR Food Distribution Inc., based in Hicksville, New York. The product is identified by UPC 0688474302754 and a best-before date of April 25, 2027. It comes in a 110-gram (3.88-ounce) clear plastic container with a black screw-top cap. The company’s recall covers packages bearing those identifiers.
According to the FDA alert, the cinnamon was sent to retail and grocery stores in Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin between Sept. 8, 2025, and June 28, 2026. Consumers who have the matching product should follow the recall instructions rather than use it; the source report does not provide further instructions on disposal or refunds.
The FDA-listed lead concentration for Wise Wife is 2.118 parts per million. Across the products on the alert, reported concentrations range from 2.03 to 7.68 parts per million, according to the source report. Those figures refer to lead detected in the cinnamon, not an estimate of how much lead a person has consumed or absorbed.
Why the Cinnamon Alert Matters
The warning matters because cinnamon is used in foods that may be eaten regularly, including foods consumed by babies and young children. The FDA says eating the listed products could contribute to elevated lead levels in blood. The possible health effects vary with the amount and frequency of exposure, the lead level in the food, a person’s age, and exposure from other sources.
The agency identifies young children as particularly vulnerable because of their smaller bodies and rapid growth. It says high lead exposure during pregnancy, infancy or early childhood can cause neurological effects, including learning difficulties, behavioral problems and lowered IQ. The alert does not establish that anyone who ate Wise Wife cinnamon has experienced these effects, nor does the reported product concentration predict an individual consumer’s blood lead level.
The reported figures are also far below the levels described for the WanaBana cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products recalled in fall 2023. Those products contained between 2,270 and 5,110 parts per million of lead in the cinnamon, according to the source report. That comparison provides context for the difference in measured concentrations; it does not mean the current products pose no risk.
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How State Testing Expanded the Alert
The FDA’s current warning follows a broader effort to test ground cinnamon and other spices for lead and chromium. The agency asked states to prioritize testing in the period before the 2023 WanaBana recall, then conducted a targeted assessment of ground cinnamon products. State partners have continued collecting retail samples and sharing results with the FDA.
Some sampling took place through the Laboratory Flexible Funding Model, a cooperative agreement intended to help states investigate and monitor food safety issues and remove adulterated products from commerce. The source report identifies Arkansas, California, Maryland, Missouri, Connecticut and Virginia among the states that collected samples through that program. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets also provided samples collected outside it.
This is the third FDA update to the cinnamon warning list this year, according to the report. The agency says the latest alert includes results from state testing, including the Connecticut sample that led to Wise Wife’s addition. The list may change as the agency reviews further results.
“The FDA is taking the additional step in issuing a third public health alert this year for ground cinnamon to ensure the safety of ground cinnamon used in foods that are frequently consumed by babies and young children.”
— FDA, as quoted in the public health alert
What Testing Has Not Established
The alert does not say how many packages of Wise Wife cinnamon were sold or how many remain in consumers’ homes. The source report also does not provide a total number of people who may have used the product, or any case count linked to this specific cinnamon. Detection of lead in a sampled product does not by itself establish the level of exposure for an individual.
The FDA says it is still reviewing results from state partners that have been sampling ground cinnamon at retail. The agency has not said how many additional samples remain under review, when that work will be completed, or whether further products will be added. It says an update may follow if testing finds additional products with elevated lead and exposure may be unsafe.
The list’s reported range and the Wise Wife result are product-testing measurements. The available information does not set out how results were distributed across every listed product or explain the sampling details for each one. Readers should rely on the specific brand, package and date information in the recall notice when identifying the recalled item.
Further FDA and State Testing
Consumers can check their cinnamon against the Wise Wife brand, UPC and best-before date in the recall information, and follow the firm’s recall instructions if they have a matching package. Retailers and distributors are expected to act on the recall as applicable; the source report does not state how much product has been recovered.
The FDA says it will continue reviewing state sampling results and will update its public health alert if further findings meet the agency’s criteria. No date for another update was provided. Any additional action will depend on the results and the agency’s assessment of whether exposure to an affected product may be unsafe.
Key Questions
Which Wise Wife cinnamon product is included in the recall?
The recall covers Wise Wife ground cinnamon with UPC 0688474302754 and a best-before date of April 25, 2027. It is packaged in a 110-gram clear plastic container with a black screw-top cap.
Where was the recalled cinnamon distributed?
The product was distributed to retail and grocery stores in 14 states: Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. The reported distribution period was Sept. 8, 2025, through June 28, 2026.
How much lead did testing find in Wise Wife cinnamon?
The FDA alert lists a concentration of 2.118 parts per million for Wise Wife ground cinnamon. This is a measurement of the product sample, not a blood lead level or a calculation of an individual’s exposure.
What should someone do if they have the recalled cinnamon?
Check the brand, UPC and best-before date against the recall details, and follow the company’s recall instructions for a matching package. The source report does not specify disposal, refund or replacement procedures.
Will the FDA add more cinnamon products to the list?
The FDA says it is reviewing additional state testing results and may update the alert if more products are found to have elevated lead and exposure may be unsafe. No timing or further additions have been confirmed.
Source: foodsafetynews.com
