Indian spices,sindoor contain lead,claims Harvard study

Young children who regularly ingest Indian spices may be exposed to lead,a dangerous neurotoxin,an American study has claimed.

Young children who regularly ingest Indian spices and ceremonial powders like vermilion,or sindoor,may be exposed to lead,a dangerous neurotoxin,an American study has claimed.

The study carried out by researchers at Childrens Hospital Boston and the Harvard School of Public Health found that about 25 per cent of Indian spices available in the US such as cardamom,fenugreek and chili powder contain more than one microgram of lead per gram of product. And about 65 per cent of the ceremonial powders such as vermilion commonly used to mark newborn Indian infants contained the same amount of the toxic heavy metal,the ‘Time’ magazine reported online.

The research,published in the latest issue of journal Pediatrics,was conducted after several reports of lead poisoning in Indian children in Boston area were linked to consumption of Indian spices,said the report. Though the levels are below the European Unions acceptable threshold of two to three mcg/g of lead,the authors of the study said the presence of lead in these products,regardless of the amount,is a reason for concern as they could potentially add to exposure from other sources of the neurotoxin in a childs environment.

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With repeated exposure at high enough levels,lead can cause cognitive damage and behavioural changes in children. In severe cases of prolonged poisoning,the damage may be permanent,says Dr Cristiane Lin,the lead author of the study. Studies have shown that a blood level of 10 mcg of lead per decilitre of blood is associated with potentially irreversible harm,although recent studies have shown that as little as 5 mcg/dL can also be dangerous, the report said.

The experts,who have examined 71 powder items and 86 spices for their research,estimated that if a population of children under age 4 was routinely exposed to Indian spices or ceremonial powders,the additional ingestion of lead would lead to a threefold increase from 0.8 per cent to 2.8 per cent in the percentage of children with a blood level of lead over 10 mcg/dL.

Our message is to say,Be aware of these products that may contain lead, says Lin. From a pediatricians perspective,its good to push for screening of non-paint sources of lead. As high level of lead found in some spices and sindoor samples,import,sale and labelling of these items should be carefully monitored,and low-lead sindoor (less than five micrograms per gram) could be suggested as a safer alternative, the study said.

Currently,the Food and Drug Administration,which oversees the safety of food products imported into the US,does not have specific guidelines for screening lead in dried products like spices.