Lead in Consumer Products

There continues to be on lead in consumer products like children's toys. Even though lead in consumer products is only a small part of overall lead exposure, these stories get a lot of media attention because everyone uses consumer products.

Lead is everywhere we look: the need for Universal Child Testing

• July 25, 2024, Press Release. FDA Public Health Alert for Additional Ground Cinnamon Product Due to Presence of Elevated Levels of Lead "Through product testing conducted by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and confirmed by the FDA, the FDA has determined that the ground cinnamon product listed below contains elevated levels of lead and that exposure to this product may be unsafe. The FDA is advising consumers to throw away and not to buy this ground cinnamon product. El Servidor Corp of Elmhurst, NY Mannan Supermarket, Inc. El Servidor El Servidor Corp Ground Cinnamon. he FDA has recommended that the distributor voluntarily recall this product. The FDA will update this notice with communication from the firm if they voluntarily agree to recall." Here's the USNews report.

• July 22, 2024. North Carolina Health News. NC health workers detected lead contamination in applesauce that led to a nationwide recall, several lawsuits. "Local, state and federal public health officials worked together to respond to pinpoint tainted cinnamon in WanaBana pureed fruit pouches." Nice overview of the Wanna Banana poisoning saga.

• USA TODAY. Lead paint is just the beginning: Poisoning danger lurks in pantry, toy. "Bans on lead in paint, gasoline and pipes have dramatically reduced lead poisoning that causes severe developmental problems in children. But another threat looms: More children have elevated lead levels from food and other everyday household items. New research has found that lead in baby food and earthenware cooking items are risks for parents and families. 'We have to begin to think outside the box,' said Melanie Napier, a public health epidemiologist with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, which investigated toddlers who had eaten cinnamon applesauce tainted with lead. State and federal officials found hundreds of cases across the U.S. Napier said parents should be careful: 'It’s still important to get your kids tested even if you don’t think your child has had lead exposure.' ”

• JULY 23, 2024 phys.org Study of urban moss raises concerns about lead levels in older Portland neighborhoods. "Lead levels in moss are as much as 600 times higher in older Portland, Oregon, neighborhoods where lead-sheathed telecommunications cables were once used compared to lead levels in nearby rural areas, a new study of urban moss has found. The findings raise concerns about lead exposure in pre-1960 neighborhoods where the cables were common and in some cases are still in place even though they are no longer in use, said Alyssa Shiel, an environmental geochemist at Oregon State University, and the study's lead author." Here's the study

• Jul 16, 2024. Saanish News. Two lead poisoning cases linked to herbal medicines: Fraser Health. "In a news release Monday, Fraser Health stated the two cases are likely connected with consuming Ayurvedic medicines or opium-containing products. Fraser Health notes that some Ayurvedic medications may contain high levels of heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, arsenic and other toxins. Some of these products may contain opium and are prepared from the poppy plant — called doda and afeem." More here: 2 B.C. lead poisonings likely linked to herbal medicines prompts warning. 

July 17, 2024. Business Wire. Study Shows up to 38% of Childhood Lead Poisoning Cases are Linked to Consumer Products in Four Key US Regions/Areas. "Researchers call for a national tracking database and intervention in countries where the lead contamination originates. First-of-its-kind study examines sources of lead poisoning in 2,000 cases across New York City, King County, Washington, California and Oregon. Researchers found that consumer products (e.g., spices, cosmetics, metal cookware, and ceramics) were a source of lead exposure in 15 to 38% of lead poisoning cases. Authors call for a national database of consumer products associated with lead poisoning cases; urge stakeholders to work together to prevent contamination at its source." Here's the study. Keep in mind that the findings pertain to the study areas (a "snapshot). It does not mean that other areas aren't affected by lead in consumer products.

3-JUL-2024 NEWS RELEASE First study to measure toxic metals in tampons shows arsenic and lead, among other contaminants "Tampons from several brands that potentially millions of people use each month can contain toxic metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium, a new study led by a UC Berkeley researcher has found."

June 24, 2024. King5News. Despite an incoming Washington state law, lead-ridden imported cookware remains for sale. State officials are still figuring out how it will identify and purchase dangerous cookware when the new law takes effect in 2026. "It wasn’t until his family’s arrival in the United States in January that Hamidullah Shabaan learned the possible cause of the concerning behavior by his 6-year-old twins. 'They were crying. Even they were … breaking glass and they were eating glass,' said Shabaan, from the living room of his apartment in Redmond. He had first noticed the learning disabilities and developmental problems when his children were 3 years old in his native Afghanistan. 'I was thinking my son is going to lose his mind,' said an exasperated Shabaan.  Answers came from blood tests the boys received when they arrived in America. Both had high levels of toxic lead in their bloodstreams. Lead can stunt growth and development in children. 'So, the doctors ... explained to me and then I understood. It’s going to be very, very dangerous, especially for the kids,' said Shabaan. It’s exactly the kind of story that pushed Washington to become the first in the nation to pass a state law earlier this year that will restrict the amount of lead in cookware to less than five parts per million lead. Shabaan’s family was fortunate to arrive in King County where extensive research following cases like Shabaan’s pinpointed high levels of lead in Afghan children to traditional aluminum pressure cookers that are common in Afghanistan households. Tests by the King County Hazardous Waste Management Program showed the pressure cookers, that are advertised as aluminum products, actually contained tens of thousands of parts per million lead. It's not just Afghan cookware. Subsequent testing by King County showed lead in a wide range of imported aluminum pots and pans. Many of these items are a click away on websites like Amazon and Etsy."

Jun 18, 2024​. PBS. Recalled lead-tainted applesauce pouches stayed on Dollar Tree shelves for weeks, FDA says​. "Dollar Tree failed to effectively recall lead-tainted applesauce pouches linked to reports of illness in more than 500 children, leaving the products on some store shelves for two months, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday​. The FDA sent a warning letter to Dollar Tree this month and placed Negasmart, the Ecuadorian distributor of WanaBana apple cinnamon pouches, under import alerts following the October 2023 recall of the products found to be contaminated with “extremely high” levels of lead and chromium.​ Children in 44 states had probable or confirmed cases of elevated blood lead levels after eating the applesauce pouches marketed for toddlers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak was declared over in April.​ [.....]  "The pouches include those sold under the WanaBana brand at Dollar Tree stores and online and under the Schnucks and Weis brands in stores. Because they have a long shelf life, they may still be in consumers’ homes. Consumers should not eat or serve the pouches and should discard them."

03-08-2024 Fast Company. Here are 6 lead-tainted ground cinnamon brands that the FDA wants you to throw away, "Cinnamon sold by discount stores like the Dollar Tree contains lead at levels that could be unsafe for people, particularly children. Cinnamon products included in the agency’s safety alert include are La Fiesta brand sold by La Superior and SuperMercados; Marcum brand sold by Save A Lot stores; MK brands sold by SF Supermarket; Swad brand sold by Patel Brothers; El Chilar brand sold by La Joya Morelense; and Supreme Tradition brand sold by Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores."

October 30, 2023 AP News. FDA says WanaBana fruit puree pouches may contain dangerous levels of lead "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning parents and caregivers not to buy or serve certain pureed fruit pouches marketed to toddlers and young children because the food might contain dangerous levels of lead. Children who have eaten WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches should be tested for possible lead poisoning, the agency said."WanaBana, which is based in Coral Gables, Florida, has recalled all lot codes and expiration dates of the snack products, which are sold nationally, including at Sam’s Club and Dollar Tree and on Amazon.

Sep 01, 2022. The Canadian Press. Dollar store products commonly tested positive for toxic chemicals, analysis says. "1 in 4 products tested were positive for substances managed under environmental legislation. One in four dollar store products tested by Environmental Defence were positive for substances managed under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Many of the findings were within the allowable limits, but the report says those limits are not strong enough."

September 1, 2022. Lawsuit information center, Baby Food Autism Lawsuit. "Our law firm is handling baby food autism lawsuits in all 50 states. Several brands of very popular baby foods contain alarmingly high levels of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium. These heavy metals are well-known neurotoxins. Consuming these toxic metals in baby foods may have caused thousands of children to develop autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders."