Wise Wife ground cinnamon recalled in 14 US states over lead
By Devansh TiwariKnowledge Systems Writer, Peepals Sanskriti
Representative image: 5389939 / Pixabay
SLR Food Distribution recalled 110g Wise Wife ground cinnamon in 14 US states on October 29, 2026, after a Connecticut test found elevated lead.
What Happened
A US distributor has recalled Wise Wife brand ground cinnamon because it may contain elevated levels of lead, the second recall of the brand's cinnamon in about 13 months. SLR Food Distribution Inc., based in Hicksville, New York, announced the voluntary recall on Thursday, October 29, 2026, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted the notice the same day. The problem was found when a sample collected and analysed by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station showed elevated lead. No illnesses had been reported, according to the notice.
Key Facts
- Product: Wise Wife Brand Ground Cinnamon, 110 grams (3.88 ounces), in a clear plastic container with a black screw-top cap, UPC 0688474302754.
- Sold in 14 US states: Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
- Distribution period: September 8, 2025, to June 28, 2026.
- The lead was found in testing by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station; the notice did not state the level detected.
- Consumers are told not to use the product, and retailers are asked to remove it from sale.
- An earlier recall, of a 50-gram Wise Wife cinnamon jar, was made in September 2025 after FDA testing; the FDA now lists that recall as terminated.
Why It Matters
Cinnamon, known in India as dalchini, is used in kitchens across the world, from Indian masalas to Western holiday baking. This recall comes just before the year-end festive season, when spice use rises in many homes, and it shows that a cheap, everyday spice can carry a hidden risk if it is contaminated.
The concern is lead. According to the FDA, lead exposure is a particular risk for pregnant women, infants and young children, and can cause learning disabilities, behavioural problems and lower IQ. Low-level exposure may cause no symptoms at all, and a raised blood lead level may be the only sign, which is why the agency's advice is simply to stop using a recalled product.
The Wise Wife recall also sits inside a longer US investigation. Lead in cinnamon first drew wide attention in 2023, when cinnamon used in applesauce pouches was linked to lead poisoning in hundreds of children. That led the FDA to test ground cinnamon sold in shops, and since 2024 it has issued and expanded a public health alert naming ground cinnamon brands found with elevated lead. For readers of traditional food and wellness, the lesson in the facts is simple: a spice's heritage value does not guarantee its purity, and testing by food safety authorities is what catches the problem.
Peepals timeline: the case has built up over three years, according to the FDA and reports on its actions. In 2023, lead-tainted cinnamon in applesauce pouches sickened hundreds of children. In 2024 the FDA issued a public health alert on ground cinnamon with elevated lead, and has expanded it several times since. In September 2025 a 50-gram Wise Wife jar was recalled after FDA testing. On October 30, 2025, two more brands, DEVI and BaiLiFeng, were added to the alert. On October 29, 2026, the 110-gram Wise Wife container was recalled after a Connecticut test. The recalled product was distributed over 294 days, from September 8, 2025 to June 28, 2026 (23 days in September 2025, plus 92 for October to December, plus 179 for January to June 28, 2026). Our calculation from the reported dates.
| Detail | What the notice says |
|---|---|
| Company | SLR Food Distribution Inc., Hicksville, New York |
| Product | Wise Wife Ground Cinnamon, 110 g (3.88 oz), UPC 0688474302754 |
| Reason | Possible elevated lead, found by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station |
| States | 14, from Connecticut to Wisconsin |
| Illnesses reported | None |
Impact
Short-term: Shoppers in the 14 states who bought the 110-gram Wise Wife container are told not to use it, and shops are asked to pull it from shelves before the holiday baking season.
Long-term: Repeated recalls of the same brand add pressure for closer testing of imported and repackaged spices, and keep the FDA's cinnamon alert active.
Who is affected: Households in the listed US states that cook with ground spices; parents of young children and pregnant women, for whom lead is most harmful; spice importers, distributors and grocers.
Key Takeaway
SLR Food Distribution recalled 110-gram Wise Wife ground cinnamon in 14 US states on October 29, 2026, after a Connecticut test found elevated lead, the brand's second cinnamon recall in about 13 months.
Questions and Answers
Which cinnamon is in the Wise Wife ground cinnamon recall?
The recall covers Wise Wife Brand Ground Cinnamon in a 110-gram (3.88-ounce) clear plastic container with a black screw-top cap and UPC 0688474302754, distributed between September 8, 2025 and June 28, 2026.
Why was the Wise Wife cinnamon recalled?
A sample tested by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station showed elevated lead. The company's notice, posted by the FDA on October 29, 2026, did not say how much lead was found.
Has anyone fallen ill?
No illnesses had been reported when the recall was announced. The FDA notes that lead exposure may cause no symptoms, and that pregnant women, infants and young children face the greatest risk.
Is this the first problem with Wise Wife cinnamon?
No. A 50-gram Wise Wife cinnamon jar was recalled in September 2025 after FDA testing found elevated lead, and the brand also appears in the FDA's wider public health alert on lead in ground cinnamon.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Devansh Tiwari, Knowledge Systems WriterCovers Knowledge Systems and more for Peepals Sanskriti. All stories by Devansh Tiwari
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Devansh Tiwari is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
