High Levels of Lead Found In Imported Hot Sauce

LAS VEGASHot sauces imported from Mexico were found to have high levels of lead, according to a new study published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B.

Over the last decade, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued various recalls on imported food products that exceed federal standards for lead, with products containing chili peppers and salt, like Mexican candies, as suspected sources of lead contamination. Researchers from University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Southern Nevada Health District worked to remove imported cadies from local store shelves in 2006. In 2010 an alert for the "detention without physical examination of candy due to lead" was issue by the FDA for 39 types of candies from China. Mexico and the Philippines. Since, the researchers have turned to hot sauces, which contain similar ingredients to candy, but have not been evaluated by the FDA.  

In the pilot study, researchers purchased 25 bottles of imported hot sauces from Mexico and South America from local ethnic markets, grocery stores and a swap meet. The products included a variety of manufacturers and types, particularly those made in Mexico. The bottles were shaken for 60 seconds and analyzed for lead concentrations and pH levels. Also, researchers evaluated the lead content of the packaging. Lead content in packaging has been known to leech into and contaminate other foods. Results showed that four brands of the hot sauces, or 16% of the hot sauces, exceeded 0.1 ppm lead which is the current FDA standard for unsafe levels of lead in candy. All four brands were imported from Mexico and were from different manufacturers.

"The results indicate the need for more rigorous screening protocols for products imported in Mexico, including an applicable standard for hot sauce," said Shawn Gerstenberger, interim dean of the School of Community Health Sciences and professor and director of the University's environmental and occupational health laboratory. Without such standards, manufacturers will not be encouraged to  improve quality control measures designed to reduce amounts of lead and other toxic elements, he added. Additionally, the study suggests that the USDA and FDA receive support to create and establish additional standards to protect consumers from chemical hazards like lead in hot sauces, and enforce or clarify existing standards. Gerstenberger recommends the adoption of 0.1 ppm lead as a standard of unsafe levels for hot sauces until further conclusive evidence supports a different action level. He also says states can adopt policies to reject all imported hot sauces and other food products found to contain detectable concentrations of lead. There is no known safe level for lead exposure. Lead poisoning can affect almost every organ in the body and is absorbed faster by children than adults. Damaging effects of lead poisoning in children include learning disabilities, behavioral problems, seizures, comas and even death in extreme cases. New research recently presented at the 245th National Meeting & exposition of the American Chemical Society found imported rice also contains high levels of lead.