Frederick Accum's investigations documented that cinnamon was often adulterated with brick dust, which added weight and bulk to the expensive spice. This practice was part of the widespread fraud in the spice trade, where merchants routinely mixed cheaper fillers with valuable spices. The use of brick dust in cinnamon was a common form of economic adulteration.

The discovery of brick dust in cinnamon was a shocking example of the extent of food fraud, and it was used by social reformers to illustrate the corruption of the food supply. Poets and satirists referenced such findings in their critiques of commercial greed. The theme of adulterated spices also appears in the works of writers who were interested in the ethics of trade and consumption.