Ground cinnamon sold by U.S. discount retailers is contaminated with high levels of lead and should be discarded, federal health officials said Wednesday. Cinnamon products included in the agency's safety alert include the La Fiesta brand sold by La Superior and SuperMercados; Marcum brand sold by Save A Lot stores; MK brands sold by SF Supermarket; Swad brand sold by Patel Brothers; El Chilar brand sold by La Joya Morelense; and Supreme Tradition brand sold by Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores. Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores have removed the cinnamon from their store shelves, a company spokesperson said. No illnesses or other health effects have been reported in connection with the new ground cinnamon alert, the FDA said. The FDA monitors foods for lead levels, but the U.S. government doesn’t broadly limit lead in food products.

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Persons: Patel, La Joya Morelense Organizations: U.S, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Fiesta, La Superior, SF, Patel Brothers, La, FDA, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: U.S