The FDA is putting manufacturers on notice to do more to keep contaminants out.

Six different ground cinnamon products sold at retailers including Save A Lot, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar contain elevated levels of lead and should be recalled and thrown away immediately, the US Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday.

The brands are La Fiesta, Marcum, MK, Swad, Supreme Tradition, and El Chilar, and the products are sold in plastic spice bottles or in bags at various retailers. The FDA has contacted the manufacturers to urge them to issue voluntary recalls, though it has not been able to reach one of the firms, MTCI, which distributes the MK-branded cinnamon.

    • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      9·
      4 months ago

      A lot of recalls are voluntary; if a recall is voluntary, then the company should be able to stop the entire supply chain and rid it of the harmful product more quickly and efficiently than the process of a mandated recall would.

      • solarvector@lemmy.zipEnglish
        4·
        4 months ago

        There must be wrinkles to the two processes that are a little counter intuitive then. And certainly ones I’m not familiar with.

        • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          6·
          4 months ago

          I think it’s more that the company knows exactly what, how much of and how a harmful product gets into their product.

          If the FDA issues an involuntary recall, they have to figure out the structure of the company and supply chain, identify every step and process, and make sure a company complies fully.

          Effectively, the result is the same, but it’s a much simpler and quicker process if the company shows the FDA what happened, how it happened and where target than the FDA having to identify every process of every harmful product.

          Many companies do care about the health of their customers and want to make a better product.

          Practically, are you going to be the cinnamon company that said “nah, we think the lead won’t hurt our customers” and face severe penalties, lose all your customers and suffer what is likely a permanent now to your professional and personal reputation?

          It’s a simpler matter and better for business (sick people and dead people buy fewer products) to identify the problem, fix it and continue business as usual, while looking responsible and ethical.