HARTFORD, Conn. — A New York food distributor has recalled Wise Wife Brand Ground Cinnamon sold in 14 states, including Connecticut and Massachusetts, after testing in Connecticut found elevated levels of lead, the state Department of Consumer Protection said Thursday.

Inspectors from the department's Food and Standards team collected samples of the cinnamon and sent them to the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station, a state laboratory, which found high levels of lead, according to the department. SLR Food Distribution Inc. of Hicksville, N.Y., then voluntarily recalled the product.

The samples were gathered under a Food and Drug Administration program that pays states to sample and test foods as part of the national food safety system, the department said.

No illnesses have been reported, according to the department.

The recalled cinnamon comes in a 3.88-ounce clear plastic bottle with a black screw-top cap and carries a best-before date of April 25, 2027. It was distributed between Sept. 8, 2025, and June 28 to Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The effects of lead depend on a person's age, body weight and how much lead they are exposed to and for how long, the department said. Brief exposure to low levels may cause no symptoms, but long-term or heavy exposure can cause nausea, vomiting, headaches, muscle weakness and confusion, among other symptoms.

The department said people should not eat the recalled cinnamon and should throw it away or return it to the store where they bought it for a refund. Questions about the recall can be sent by email to the department's Food and Standards Division at [email protected].

This brief was drafted by AI from a public agency or political press release and published by The New England Signal. Why we use AI for stories like this one.