The United States Food and Drug Administration has found that six brands of ground cinnamon spice have elevated levels of lead. The agency is now calling on companies to announce voluntary recalls of the products.
The FDA shared the news on Wednesday, noting that the products sold under the names Marcum, MK, La Fiesta, Swad, Supreme Tradition, and El Chilar, which are sold at Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Save A Lot, and Patel Brothers, potentially have high levels of lead.
The agency is advising consumers to throw away and not buy these products, as they are unsafe for people, especially those who have prolonged exposure.
The FDA has also formally asked manufacturers to issue a recall for the products.
“Removing the ground cinnamon products in this alert from the market will prevent them from contributing elevated amounts of lead to the diets of children,” the FDA said.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar shared that they have removed the product from their shelves and are issuing full refunds to customers who return affected items they purchased.
At this time, there have not been any illnesses or injuries resulting from the recalled items, the FDA shared.
Lead is a neurotoxin, and the World Health Organization reports that there is no safe level for the substance in humans.
The FDA is responsible for monitoring foods for lead levels, though there is no limit to these levels by the US government.