Don’t Buy These 8 Cinnamon Brands (And 4 That Are Actually SAFE)

8 Cinnamon Brands to Avoid—and 4 Better Choices Worth Buying

8. Badia

Badia is a familiar name for shoppers who cook Latin American dishes and for anyone looking for a large, inexpensive container of spices.

But independent testing has raised an important concern about its ground cinnamon.

Consumer Reports reported finding approximately 1.03 parts per million of lead in Badia cinnamon.

That may sound tiny, but lead exposure is cumulative, and there is no known completely safe level of lead exposure for children.

The number also becomes more significant when cinnamon is consumed frequently.

A quarter teaspoon may seem insignificant, but repeated exposure can add to other sources of lead in the diet.

Badia therefore represents the lower end of the concerning products rather than a catastrophic contamination case.

7. Bowl & Basket

Bowl & Basket is a ShopRite store brand, and the supermarket name can create an assumption that products carrying it have been thoroughly vetted.

Consumer Reports testing reportedly found approximately 1.82 parts per million of lead in Bowl & Basket ground cinnamon.

That level was substantially higher than the result for Badia and above New York’s 1 ppm threshold that can trigger action for spices.

The bigger lesson is that a store brand is not necessarily a guarantee of superior sourcing.

Supermarkets frequently contract outside manufacturers and suppliers to produce their private-label products.

The retailer’s name on the front does not necessarily tell consumers where the spice originated or what testing was performed.

6. Mimi’s Products

Mimi’s Products represents another category of cinnamon that can be difficult for shoppers to evaluate: specialty and international brands.

Consumer Reports reportedly detected around 2.03 parts per million of lead in Mimi’s ground cinnamon.

Another brand tested in the same investigation, Paris, reportedly reached 3.52 parts per million, the highest result in that particular Consumer Reports sample of 36 products.

The central concern is not necessarily that smaller or imported brands are inherently inferior.

Rather, consumers often have little access to independent laboratory information about their products.

Without published heavy-metal testing or readily available certificates of analysis, shoppers have limited ability to distinguish a carefully sourced product from one purchased through a less controlled supply chain.

5. Swad

Swad is a familiar staple in South Asian grocery stores and kitchens, which makes its appearance in contamination warnings particularly concerning for loyal customers.

FDA testing in 2024 reportedly found approximately 2.12 parts per million of lead in Swad ground cinnamon, prompting a recall-related warning.

A related brand, Ashley, was also identified with an elevated result.

The significance extends beyond one company. Cinnamon moves through complex international supply chains, and contamination can occur before the spice reaches the final importer or retailer.

A recognizable brand name therefore cannot substitute for actual testing.

4. Markham

Markham is associated with Save A Lot, making it another example of how low-cost grocery products can intersect with supply-chain concerns.

FDA testing reportedly found approximately 3.20 parts per million of lead in Markham cinnamon.

Another product, sold under the MK name and distributed by MTCI, was also flagged after testing showed approximately 2.99 parts per million.

The investigation described an especially troubling detail involving MTCI: the FDA reportedly had difficulty obtaining a response from the company after the findings.

A regulator’s warning is only useful if manufacturers and distributors act on it, so a lack of cooperation can make an already serious contamination issue even more troubling.

3. Supreme Tradition

Supreme Tradition represents the most recognizable discount-store connection in the countdown.

The brand’s cinnamon was sold through Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, retailers where inexpensive pantry staples are a major attraction.

FDA testing identified elevated lead levels, and Dollar Tree subsequently confirmed that the affected product was removed from stores.

The connection became particularly disturbing because contaminated cinnamon had also been implicated in applesauce products sold through Dollar Tree.

The applesauce contamination involved extremely high lead concentrations and affected hundreds of children.

That does not mean every product sold by a discount retailer is dangerous.

It does demonstrate why consumers should not assume that a low price and a familiar national retailer automatically mean a spice has undergone comprehensive contaminant testing.

2. Super Brand

Super Brand takes the lead concern to another level.

FDA testing reportedly found approximately 7.68 parts per million of lead in its ground cinnamon.

That was several times higher than the results found in many other products in the same investigations.

Lead is particularly troubling because it cannot be detected by sight, smell, or taste.

A contaminated powder can look completely normal sitting beside a cleaner product.

This makes testing essential. Consumers cannot identify contaminated cinnamon by examining the color or texture of the powder.

Without laboratory analysis, there may be no obvious warning at all.

1. El Servador

El Servador earns the top position because the reported lead concentration was dramatically higher than the other retail products in the countdown.

New York testing reportedly found approximately 20 parts per million of lead, with the FDA subsequently confirming the concern.

That is more than twenty times New York’s 1 ppm threshold.

The number becomes even more alarming when compared with the contamination that triggered the major applesauce investigation.

Cinnamon used in those products reportedly contained thousands of parts per million of lead.

Investigators determined that the contaminant included lead chromate, a yellow pigment associated with economically motivated adulteration.

In other words, the contamination was not simply environmental exposure during farming.

It involved deliberate adulteration designed to alter the appearance or weight of the product.

Lead exposure can damage the developing nervous system, and children are particularly vulnerable.

The consequences can include problems involving learning, attention, and behavior.

That makes the contamination of foods consumed by infants and toddlers especially serious.

Here are 4 Better Choices.

4. 365 by Whole Foods Market

365 ground cinnamon provides one of the more accessible alternatives for shoppers who do not want to search specialty stores.

Consumer Reports reportedly found 365 among the small group of products that tested low enough in lead to be considered suitable for unrestricted daily use under its criteria.

There is, however, another issue: standard cinnamon from this category is generally cassia.

So while it may address the heavy-metal concern, it does not necessarily solve the separate coumarin question.

3. Frontier Co-op

Frontier Co-op offers an important upgrade for people who use cinnamon frequently: Ceylon cinnamon, also known as “true cinnamon,” derived from Cinnamomum verum.

Ceylon cinnamon naturally contains far less coumarin than cassia.

Coumarin is a naturally occurring compound that can cause liver toxicity at sufficiently high chronic exposures, which is why European authorities have established a tolerable daily intake.

Frontier also emphasizes quality-control and contaminant screening.

The combination of a lower-coumarin species and stronger sourcing information makes it a compelling everyday choice.

2. Burlap & Barrel

Burlap & Barrel focuses heavily on single-origin spices and direct relationships with growers.

For shoppers seeking cinnamon specifically, the important distinction is between its Ceylon cinnamon and its cassia varieties.

A premium cassia such as Saigon cinnamon may deliver an intense flavor, but it still naturally contains more coumarin than Ceylon cinnamon.

Its Ceylon product, identified as Cinnamomum verum, is therefore the more appropriate choice for someone who consumes cinnamon regularly and wants to minimize coumarin exposure.

The broader advantage is transparency. The more clearly a company identifies the species and origin, the less consumers have to guess about what is actually inside the jar.

1. Druera

Druera earns the top spot because it emphasizes exactly the kind of transparency that is often missing from the spice aisle.

Its Ceylon cinnamon is sourced from Sri Lanka, where true cinnamon originates, and the company has highlighted third-party heavy-metal testing and laboratory documentation.

That distinction matters because a trustworthy spice company should be able to provide more than a generic statement that its products are “high quality.”

A meaningful certificate of analysis can identify the species and provide actual measurements for contaminants such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium.

The most useful habit for consumers may therefore be to ask for that documentation directly.

If a company can provide a recent laboratory report for its product or lot, shoppers have something concrete to evaluate.

If it can provide only vague assurances, the lack of transparency becomes information in itself.

There is one final distinction every cinnamon shopper should understand: cassia and Ceylon cinnamon are not the same thing.

Cassia accounts for most of the cinnamon sold in American grocery stores.

Ceylon cinnamon is milder, more delicate, and naturally much lower in coumarin.

For occasional baking, cassia may not be a major concern.

But someone adding cinnamon to coffee or oatmeal every day may want to consider switching to Ceylon.

Lead represents a separate issue. Because it has no reliable taste, smell, or visual signature, consumers cannot inspect a jar and know whether contamination is present.

Testing and sourcing are therefore much more meaningful than appearance.

The smartest approach is to turn the jar around and check two things: what species of cinnamon it contains and whether the company can demonstrate contaminant testing.

If the label simply says “cinnamon,” shoppers may not know whether they are buying cassia or Ceylon.

If the company cannot provide meaningful testing information, shoppers are being asked to trust a supply chain they cannot see.

A better cinnamon does not necessarily require spending a fortune.

It requires knowing what is actually in the jar—and refusing to let attractive packaging make that decision on the shopper’s behalf.