Lead contamination continues to trouble the U.S. food sector

In the past two years, lead contamination in food ingredients has become an increasingly pervasive issue for the U.S. food sector. In late 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety alert warning consumers not to purchase certain brands of applesauce pouches due to contamination with “extremely high concentrations of lead.” The products were marketed to children, and the subsequent voluntary recall by the manufacturer brought the issue to national attention. 

Unfortunately, lead-contaminated cinnamon is not isolated to one manufacturer. After the applesauce recall in 2023, the FDA recommended additional recalls of ground cinnamon in March 2024 and expanded the list again in July 2024. In September, Consumer Reports issued a study that found high levels of lead in 12 of the 36 brands of cinnamon powder and multi-spice powders it tested. As of October 2025, there were 18 companies on the FDA’s public health alert for the presence of elevated levels of lead.

Now, it seems cinnamon isn’t the only common food product with lead levels above a safe amount. In October 2025, Consumer Reports issued another study on lead contamination, this time focused on protein powders and protein shakes. The study of 23 protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes found that, for two-thirds of the products, “a single serving contained more lead than [Consumer Report’s] food safety experts say is safe to consume in a day—some by more than 10 times.” 

Another Consumer Report study on 27 cassava products had similar findings. More than two-thirds of the products tested had levels of lead in a single serving that exceeded the amount that Consumer Reports’ food safety experts use as a threshold for an acceptable daily intake. In some cases, the levels were 2,000 percent higher than amounts considered safe.

The bigger picture

Despite growing concern over the presence of heavy metals in food ingredients, the FDA currently has limited tools to help reduce exposure to toxic elements in the food supply. The U.S. also does not have a federal requirement to test for lead in food made domestically or imported into the country. This creates both a food safety issue for consumers and introduces risks for businesses who may be unknowingly selling contaminated products.

Because the FDA has limited authority over foreign ingredient suppliers who do not directly ship their product to the U.S., companies must place their trust in supply chain partners to source and supply safe ingredients. While traceability has improved, companies still face significant risk when working with new suppliers. Companies should review their own quality control processes and assess whether they need to implement or enhance their own internal testing procedures for ingredients with a higher likelihood of heavy metal contamination.

For several years, the FDA has been trying to change its role in regulating food contamination. In its FY24 legislative proposals released in March 2023, the agency sought “to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act to grant FDA new authority to establish binding contamination limits in foods, including those consumed by infants and young children.” The FDA is also seeking to require companies “to conduct toxic element testing of final products marketed for consumption by infants and young children.” Several states already have similar requirements, including New York and California.

In January 2025, the FDA issued a Final Guidance for Industry on Action Levels for Lead in Processed Food Intended for Babies and Young Children, which establishes action levels for when the FDA may consider a product adulterated. This was part of the FDA’s Closer to Zero action plan, which aims to establish guidance on action levels for heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury in food intended for babies and young children.

Looking ahead

There has not been much progress on the broader efforts to increase the FDA’s oversight of heavy metal contamination, but the increased media and consumer scrutiny in the past two years may change the tides. Combined with the push from the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission to improve food safety, this is a priority that will advance in 2026.

Stakeholders with a role in any part of a food product’s lifecycle should pay close attention to communications from the FDA around heavy metal contamination, specifically lead. The agency has made it clear that it would like increased oversight authority of food ingredients, and it is likely that companies will face new requirements within the next five years. Producers should act now to conduct a thorough audit of their supply chain and implement necessary changes to ensure the appropriate quality standards are met.

Trusted by the world’s leading brands, Sedgwick Brand Protection has managed more than 8,000 of the most time-critical and sensitive product recalls in 150+ countries and 50+ languages, over 30 years. To find out more about our product recall and incident response solutions, visit our website here.