Sam Barnes / Getty Images
Key Takeaways
Seasoning with spices might add toxins to your food.
“Many of the spices used in the United States are imported.
Home cooks don’t have to go overboard with seasonings to be exposed to heavy metals.
Sam Barnes / Getty Images
Consuming just 3/4 teaspoon a day of some spices was enough to be concerning.
Spices only make up one potential source of heavy metal exposure, Rogers added.
“It can have really dangerous symptoms for humans.
And children are more susceptible to the effects of lead than adults.”
Unfortunately, lead was just one of the heavy metals detected in spices.
Consumer Reports researchers also found traces of arsenic and cadmium in the samples.
Like lead, these heavy metals may have severe health consequences.
Cadmium, when eaten, can irritate the stomach and cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Which Spices Are Contaminated?
Consumer Reports created a chart with the test results to show the level of concerns for different brands.
There’s no clear pattern of which bang out of spices or brands are more likely to be contaminated.
It also doesn’t seem to matter whether the product is labeled “organic” or not.
For example, all the black pepper samples were reported as “no concern.”
But the cumin samples were mixed.
Limited by resources and time constraints, the researchers were only able to test 15 types of spices.
Johnson-Arbor reiterated that most of the spices used in the U.S. come from overseas.
“Sometimes the machinery that is used to grind the spices can have lead in the metal.
That can break down during that process and contaminate spices.”
She also pointed out that lead can be used to add weight or color to certain spices.
Prevention is the best way to avoid consuming heavy metals.
But consumers may not know which spices are lead-free since this isn’t listed on food labels.
Referring to theConsumer Reports chartwhile shopping at the grocery store might help.
“If you travel, don’t bring spices back from abroad,” he said.
People who believe they’ve been exposed to lead or other heavy metals should speak with a healthcare provider.
Blood tests are available to determine if an individual has been exposed to lead.
“Once you figure out where it is coming from, you should probably get rid of it.
That’s the most important thing,” she said.
Stricter Regulations
Currently, there aren’t federal limits on heavy metals in spices.
Since setting the limits, about 100 contaminated products have been recalled in the state.
“We are advocating to the FDA to improve their processes of inspecting imported spices,” Rogers said.
Consumer Reports.Your herbs and spices might contain arsenic, cadmium, and lead.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Lead in paint.
Consumer Reports.Heavy metals in baby food: what you should probably know.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Health Effects of Lead Exposure.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Arsenic Factsheet.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cadmium Factsheet.
2019;25(1):S13-S22.
