Dollar Tree, others hit with class action over lead in Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon

Dollar Tree class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Donna Bell filed a class action lawsuit against Greenbrier International Inc. d/b/a Dollar Tree and Colonna Brothers Inc.
• Why: Bell claims that Dollar Tree sold Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon products contaminated with lead.
• Where: The Dollar Tree cinnamon class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.

Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon products sold by Dollar Tree stores are contaminated with lead, according to claims made in a Dollar Tree class action lawsuit filed May 9 in New York federal court.

Plaintiff Donna Bell says she purchased Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon at a Dollar Tree store, not knowing it may have been contaminated with lead. 

“Lead is a highly toxic metal that has severe deleterious effects on every organ in the human body,” the Dollar Tree class action lawsuit explains. “Lead exposure can lead to convulsions, coma or even death.”

Lead exposure is especially harmful in children because it can cause irreversible problems with brain development, potentially leading children to suffer from lifelong learning disabilities and behavioral disorders, Bell says

The Dollar Tree class action lawsuit also names cinnamon manufacturer Colonna Brothers Inc. as a defendant. Bell claims Colonna “egregiously violated” consumers’ trust and failed to meet its commitment to quality when it manufactured and distributed contaminated Dollar Tree cinnamon products.

Dollar Tree class action: Defendants failed to ensure product safety

Bell points to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation into ground cinnamon products launched after the October 2023 recall of cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products due to lead contamination.

On March 6, the FDA advised consumers not to purchase or consume certain ground cinnamon products, including Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon, because they were found to contain elevated levels of lead. The defendants recalled the cinnamon products the same day, according to the Dollar Tree class action lawsuit.

Bell claims Colonna should have tested the safety of its ground cinnamon products before distributing them, and Dollar Tree failed to ensure the products it sold were safe for human consumption. She says she would not have purchased the Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon, or would have paid less for it, had she known it contained lead.

She seeks to represent a national class and New York subclass of consumers who purchased Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon for personal use. 

The Dollar Tree class action lawsuit asserts claims for unjust enrichment and violations of New York business law.

In recent months, other companies have recalled ground cinnamon products after they tested positive for elevated levels of lead.

Have you ever purchased Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon? Tell us what you think about the claims in the Dollar Tree class action lawsuit in the comments.

Bell is represented by Russell M. Busch, Nick Suciu III, Trenton R. Kashima and Luis Cardona of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC and Joshua B. Glatt and Ines Diaz Villafana of Bursor & Fisher PA.

The Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon class action lawsuit is Donna Bell v. Greenbrier International Inc. d/b/a Dollar Tree, et al., Case No. 1:24-cv-03559, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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