Memo to ASTA Membership on Consumer Reports Testing Methodology
This memo, issued November 17, 2021, and updated December 1, 2021, provides information for the ASTA membership regarding a Consumer Reports article published on November 9, 2021, titled "Your Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead."
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ASTA Statement on FDA Cinnamon Recall
The following statement is attributable to Laura Shumow, executive director of the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA):
Research Report on Heavy Metals in Vietnamese Cassia
In 2022, ASTA partnered with several NGOs (GREAT, IDH, CRED) to conduct a pilot study to identify the contributing factors of heavy metals in Vietnamese cassia. The study evaluated levels of heavy metals in the environment (soil, water, air) and in cassia products (fresh & dried). The study did not find a significant relationship between concentrations of heavy metals in the environment and in cassia. However, preliminary data supplied by a cinnamon exporting company demonstrated the potential to significantly reduce the concentration of heavy metals in finished cassia products by peeling the outermost layer of the bark.
