Lead Contamination in Cinnamon Sparks Concerns for Child Safety

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found "extremely high" levels of lead in cinnamon at a plant in Ecuador that produced applesauce pouches tainted with the metal. The recalled pouches, sold under three brands, have been linked to dozens of illnesses in U.S. children. The lead levels in the cinnamon were more than 2,000 times higher than the FDA's proposed maximum level. The FDA suspects the contamination may have been intentional, possibly for economic reasons. At least 125 children from 22 states may have been sickened by lead poisoning, with blood lead readings up to eight times higher than the reference level of concern.