SLR Food Distribution Inc. has recalled Wise Wife Brand Ground Cinnamon after a sample found it could contain lead, pulling the product from stores in 14 states. The recall was announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week, and the company has stopped distribution and sale.
The cinnamon was sold in 3.88-ounce clear plastic containers with black screw-top caps and shipped to stores in Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. The affected bottles carry a best before date of April 25, 2027, and UPC code 0688474302754.
The recall matters now because cinnamon is a kitchen staple, used in baking and everyday cooking, and the product may have been on shelves for months before it was pulled. A sample collection analyzed by The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station found elevated levels of lead, which triggered the action. No illnesses had been reported, even as the FDA said it will be removed from shelves.
That gap between a recalled food and no reported illness is what makes the case unsettling. The FDA says short-term exposure to very low levels of lead may not cause obvious symptoms, and increased blood lead levels may be the only sign. It also warns that prolonged exposure to high levels of lead over weeks or months can cause permanent damage to a child’s central nervous system.
Anyone who has the cinnamon should discard it or return it for a refund. The unanswered question is how much product reached homes and kitchens before the recall stopped further sales, but the immediate advice is clear: do not use it.
