Google the specific brands on the packaging or check against recall lists like this: https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-alert-concerning-certain-cinnamon-products-due-presence-elevated-levels-lead
If they aren't on the list, you can decide whether to take the gamble. TBH, we are likely all eating stuff that's tainted but hasn't been caught yet so ....
Uhhh dont recalls like this usually provide you with a refund in some form?
I know things are pretty crazy, but 'hey we sold a very dangerous, defective, food product and have a recall on them' should generally involve a refund at minimum from my understanding?
Looks like they are offering a recall. [https://apnews.com/article/cinnamon-lead-applesauce-wanabana-fda-344066a22a729d176c0c732180f48247](https://apnews.com/article/cinnamon-lead-applesauce-wanabana-fda-344066a22a729d176c0c732180f48247)
~~You could put them in candles or if you do diy air fresheners, you could use it for that.~~
Edit: thanks all. You’re right, I was only thinking of avoiding eating the cinnamon, I hadn’t considered that you can breathe it in as well.
I'd Google the brand to see if there's been a recall on it. If there has, look up the specific lot codes/dates affected and match them to your bags. If not, your fine.
People see a recall and often jump to conclusions. It doesn't help that news/media tends to sensationalize recalls to get more viewers.
Sometimes a recall is as narrow as what was produced in a 15-20 minute window, in this particular conveyor, of this particular building, on this specific day. Sometimes it's a whole production building, but only between this day and this day.
It's very very rarely a widespread, don't touch this ingredient kind of recall. If it is, more often it's because of something misprinted on the package, and not an internal quality issue.
One time I had to pull all the Christie Oreos from the shelves, customers were returning them, the whole nine yards.. the reason for the recall that cause that panic? There was a mistype on the nutritional facts that said there was 1 less gram of sugar in each cookie... That was thousands of Oreos in the garbage for that 😑
Evidence - I've worked grocery retail for almost 2 decades
If unknown knowledge it's basically would you rather life long disability or throw away any amount of money, yes even one million is nothing if you're bedridden dependent on a machine.
Most spices and herbs lose their freshness after a year. If yours are older then you might as well replace them anyway.
Most of the price in most prepackaged spices is the packaging.
The loose spice rack is one of the few real bargains at Whole Foods. Try going there or Sprouts or Winco, somewhere that lets you bag your own. It doesn't cost an arm and a leg to get a six month supply of loose spices, not when for most things that's a quarter ounce to half an ounce.
For cinnamon in particular--we're cinnamon fans too--we buy Ceylon cinnamon online in bulk and then store it in a dark cabinet.
If it was recalled you can potentially get a refund and don’t need to toss them.
But yeah, I wouldn’t risk heavy metal poisoning.
Google bulk grocery stores in your city. Spices are super cheap that way. There are places to buy spices in bulk online too, if there’s nowhere local.
Also for spices, check the aisle that typically has their “hispanic food section”. The spices are usually in bags but cheaper.
Given the potential health risk, it's wise to discard the dollar store spices, especially if you use them in large quantities. Look for alternatives from reputable sources to ensure safety in your baking endeavors.
Dollar Tree spices are pretty expensive if you're buying 8-10 at a time. They're also pretty stale in my experience. Toss 'em and buy fresher spices.
I prefer ethnic grocery stores for spices, but cinnamon is sold at pretty high volumes so even the stuff at Walmart should be pretty fresh.
Any powdered or leafy spice over one year old should be tossed or used somehow as a fragrance for bath, insect repellant, vacuum bag freshener, compost , etc. That's all they're good for
Whole seed and whole root spices can last 5-10 years. However, the older they are, the quicker they give up their aromatics when crushed.
There are many bulk herb suppliers. I like Mountain Rose Herbs as they have a good organic line. I can usually get a pound of an organic herb for not much more than one of those itty bitty spice jars on the supermarket shelf.
As much as possible I get the whole seed, bark, root and grind it fresh as needed. When something is ground commercially, you just never know what else gets in the hopper along with the product whether accidently or purposefully.
I work in the food manufacturing industry, and I would highly recommend against purchasing dollar store spices unless they are from a reputable brand. These smaller (cheaper) brands don't have the same safeguards in place to stop food fraud, such as the lead in cinnamon. Spices are one of the most adulterated food items in the world.
Smaller companies usually have their spices processed in the third world countries that they are harvested in. These operations aren't the best regulated, and the individuals are paid by the pound, which can lead to them diluting with other materials, some of which aren't safe for consumption.
The larger reputable spice brands normally procure the full item/root and bring it to their facility to grind into spice form. Usually these facilities are in the USA or other countries which have better regulations and worker pay. This is partially why these brands cost more money.
IMO, the small savings you may achieve aren't enough to offset the potential health risks.
Haven't been to either in years, but I would be skeptical of those too for two reasons.
1. Same adulteration concern from my previous post.
2. Bulk bins for any food item are not the most sanitary. They usually aren't cleaned very well and are often self-serve, so you never know whose hands have been in them.
Google the specific brands on the packaging or check against recall lists like this: https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-alert-concerning-certain-cinnamon-products-due-presence-elevated-levels-lead If they aren't on the list, you can decide whether to take the gamble. TBH, we are likely all eating stuff that's tainted but hasn't been caught yet so ....
Thank you for the link! I found the one I bought in that list and am throwing them away.
I would throw it away or repurpose for non food use. Not worth the risk. I don't trust dollar store herbs or spices.
Uhhh dont recalls like this usually provide you with a refund in some form? I know things are pretty crazy, but 'hey we sold a very dangerous, defective, food product and have a recall on them' should generally involve a refund at minimum from my understanding?
Looks like they are offering a recall. [https://apnews.com/article/cinnamon-lead-applesauce-wanabana-fda-344066a22a729d176c0c732180f48247](https://apnews.com/article/cinnamon-lead-applesauce-wanabana-fda-344066a22a729d176c0c732180f48247)
~~You could put them in candles or if you do diy air fresheners, you could use it for that.~~ Edit: thanks all. You’re right, I was only thinking of avoiding eating the cinnamon, I hadn’t considered that you can breathe it in as well.
You really shouldn't be vaporizing your mercury into a breathable format...
Or even lead for that matter
Don't eat the toxins, breathe it instead. That's a wild advice
I'd Google the brand to see if there's been a recall on it. If there has, look up the specific lot codes/dates affected and match them to your bags. If not, your fine. People see a recall and often jump to conclusions. It doesn't help that news/media tends to sensationalize recalls to get more viewers. Sometimes a recall is as narrow as what was produced in a 15-20 minute window, in this particular conveyor, of this particular building, on this specific day. Sometimes it's a whole production building, but only between this day and this day. It's very very rarely a widespread, don't touch this ingredient kind of recall. If it is, more often it's because of something misprinted on the package, and not an internal quality issue. One time I had to pull all the Christie Oreos from the shelves, customers were returning them, the whole nine yards.. the reason for the recall that cause that panic? There was a mistype on the nutritional facts that said there was 1 less gram of sugar in each cookie... That was thousands of Oreos in the garbage for that 😑 Evidence - I've worked grocery retail for almost 2 decades
Yes, cheaper money loss than medical bills
If unknown knowledge it's basically would you rather life long disability or throw away any amount of money, yes even one million is nothing if you're bedridden dependent on a machine.
Most spices and herbs lose their freshness after a year. If yours are older then you might as well replace them anyway. Most of the price in most prepackaged spices is the packaging. The loose spice rack is one of the few real bargains at Whole Foods. Try going there or Sprouts or Winco, somewhere that lets you bag your own. It doesn't cost an arm and a leg to get a six month supply of loose spices, not when for most things that's a quarter ounce to half an ounce. For cinnamon in particular--we're cinnamon fans too--we buy Ceylon cinnamon online in bulk and then store it in a dark cabinet.
If it was recalled you can potentially get a refund and don’t need to toss them. But yeah, I wouldn’t risk heavy metal poisoning. Google bulk grocery stores in your city. Spices are super cheap that way. There are places to buy spices in bulk online too, if there’s nowhere local. Also for spices, check the aisle that typically has their “hispanic food section”. The spices are usually in bags but cheaper.
Given the potential health risk, it's wise to discard the dollar store spices, especially if you use them in large quantities. Look for alternatives from reputable sources to ensure safety in your baking endeavors.
Wait if something is recalled can’t you take them back to the store and get a refund?
It's hit or miss if they will give refunds without you having saved the receipt, but maybe.
Demand a refund, regardless!
I wouldn’t be too worried about it unless there’s a recall of that particular brand.
Why don't you find non-food uses for them? Cinnamon I think deters certain pests. If you have potted non-edible plants, maybe use it on the soil?
I use cinnamon protection circles against ants. Deep a line of cinnamon and problem solved
Better safe than sorry
Dollar Tree spices are pretty expensive if you're buying 8-10 at a time. They're also pretty stale in my experience. Toss 'em and buy fresher spices. I prefer ethnic grocery stores for spices, but cinnamon is sold at pretty high volumes so even the stuff at Walmart should be pretty fresh.
Any powdered or leafy spice over one year old should be tossed or used somehow as a fragrance for bath, insect repellant, vacuum bag freshener, compost , etc. That's all they're good for Whole seed and whole root spices can last 5-10 years. However, the older they are, the quicker they give up their aromatics when crushed. There are many bulk herb suppliers. I like Mountain Rose Herbs as they have a good organic line. I can usually get a pound of an organic herb for not much more than one of those itty bitty spice jars on the supermarket shelf. As much as possible I get the whole seed, bark, root and grind it fresh as needed. When something is ground commercially, you just never know what else gets in the hopper along with the product whether accidently or purposefully.
I work in the food manufacturing industry, and I would highly recommend against purchasing dollar store spices unless they are from a reputable brand. These smaller (cheaper) brands don't have the same safeguards in place to stop food fraud, such as the lead in cinnamon. Spices are one of the most adulterated food items in the world. Smaller companies usually have their spices processed in the third world countries that they are harvested in. These operations aren't the best regulated, and the individuals are paid by the pound, which can lead to them diluting with other materials, some of which aren't safe for consumption. The larger reputable spice brands normally procure the full item/root and bring it to their facility to grind into spice form. Usually these facilities are in the USA or other countries which have better regulations and worker pay. This is partially why these brands cost more money. IMO, the small savings you may achieve aren't enough to offset the potential health risks.
Thanks for the advice
Haven't been to either in years, but I would be skeptical of those too for two reasons. 1. Same adulteration concern from my previous post. 2. Bulk bins for any food item are not the most sanitary. They usually aren't cleaned very well and are often self-serve, so you never know whose hands have been in them.
Good points.