But a new report found some spices can potentially cause health problems through lead exposure.
The study, which was published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, examined lead poisoning cases related to spices purchased abroad and sheds light on how to ensure your spices are safe to consume.
Paromita Hore, PhD, MPH, and colleagues at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene investigated consumer products with regard to lead exposure. They tested more than 3,000 products between 2008 and 2017.
The team found that spices purchased overseas were most at risk of leading to lead exposure.
The items were part of lead poisoning cases and local store surveys. Spices were most recently tested, with about 1,500 samples from 41 countries examined.
Lead was detected in more than half of the spice samples. More than 30 percent had lead concentrations greater than 2 parts per million (ppm), which is the allowable limit for lead in certain food additives.
Spices purchased overseas had higher lead content levels compared to those purchased in the United States.
When purchased domestically, turmeric and Georgian kharcho suneli bought in New York City had average lead concentrations below 2 ppm. But those same spices purchased overseas had average concentrations exceeding 50 ppm.
Spices bought in Georgia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Morocco had the highest lead concentrations. Most of the contaminated spices were in unmarked containers that didn’t show brand name information.
The highest lead levels were found in the Georgian spice kviteli kvavili, or yellow flower. Examples of other contaminated spices purchased abroad included turmeric, hot pepper, chili powder, and paprika.
The authors say public health professionals and medical providers should also be aware that spices could be a risk factor of lead exposure and screen populations at risk.
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