Short answer: SLR Food Distribution Inc. is recalling Wise Wife brand ground cinnamon because it may contain elevated levels of lead. If you have the 110 g (3.88 oz) jar with UPC 0688474302754 and a Best Before date of 4/25/2027, do not use it. Throw it away or return it to the store for a full refund.
What happened
The company announced the voluntary recall on October 29, 2026, and the FDA posted the notice the same day. The recall began after a sample collected and analysed by The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station showed elevated levels of lead in the product. No illnesses have been reported so far.
How to check your jar
- Brand and product: Wise Wife Brand Ground Cinnamon.
- Package: a 110 g (3.88 oz) clear plastic container with a black screw-top cap.
- UPC: 0688474302754, printed on the back label.
- Best Before date: 4/25/2027.
Where it was sold
The jars went to retail and grocery stores in Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. The sale dates run from September 8, 2025 to June 28, 2026, so a jar may have been sitting in a pantry for some time.
What you can do
- Look at the back label of every ground cinnamon jar in your kitchen, especially if you shop in the states listed above.
- If it matches the details above, stop using it, including in baking mixes and holiday recipes.
- Discard it, or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund, as the company advises.
- Questions can go to SLR Food Distribution Inc. at 1-516-437-3782, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
If you are worried about possible exposure, especially for a child, the FDA notice does not give personal medical guidance, so speak to your doctor or local health department.
Why lead in food matters
According to the company announcement, very low short-term exposure to lead may cause no symptoms, and raised blood lead levels may be the only sign. The notice adds that effects depend on the amount and length of exposure and on age and body weight, and that prolonged exposure in children can cause lasting harm to the nervous system. The FDA states there is no known safe level of lead exposure, so it monitors and regulates lead in foods.
The FDA also says it continues to monitor ground cinnamon for lead, working with states to test cinnamon sold to consumers at retail. That work followed the October 2023 recall of WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches over elevated lead.
Cooking note for the holidays
Cinnamon is in many Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes, so it is worth checking the jar before the baking starts. Only the product described in this recall is affected; this notice does not name other brands. Our other food safety updates are in the same section: see the Brad’s kale chips recall and the broccoli sprout Salmonella outbreak update.
Sources
- SLR Food Distribution Inc. Recalls Wise Wife Brand Ground Cinnamon Due to Elevated Lead Levels — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, October 29, 2026
- Lead in Food, Foodwares, and Dietary Supplements — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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