Home cooks should take a close look at their pots, pans and kitchen utensils due to a risk of “significant levels of lead” leaching into food, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The agency recently posted an alert regarding a Kada/Karahi Tiger White pure aluminum bowl because of associated health risks discovered during recent testing and shared which other products may be higher risk for leaching lead.
The agency also urged retailers to stop selling these products. Here’s what to know.
Cookware That Leaches Lead Available in the U.S.
In its Aug. 13 alert, the FDA told consumers not to use one specific product, a round silver pot. Product details:
- The brand and product name: Kadai/Karahi Tiger White (PURE ALUMINUM UTENSILS TM TIGER WHITE RTM NO: 2608606 AN ISO 9001:2015 Certified Co. SARASWATI STRIPS PVT. LTD. INDIA)
- The retailer: Mannan Supermarket, 166-11 Hillside Ave. 1st FL, Jamaica, NY 11432, New York
- The manufacturer: SARASWATI, STRIPS PVT. LTD.
Anyone with this cookware in their home should dispose of it — and not donate it or try to use it, the FDA says.
The agency added that it was unable to identify and contact the manufacturer of the cookware to alert them to the problem.
There may be other cookware on store shelves and in people’s homes that can leach lead into food, the FDA said. These products are usually imported and may be made from:
- Aluminum
- Brass
- Aluminum alloys known as Hindalium/Hindolium or Indalium/Indolium
The FDA explained that retailers are responsible for not selling products that are unsafe for use. It said that it will add more cookware to the alert if testing finds any additional products that may leach lead into food.
The agency previously issued a letter to retailers about this topic in December 2024, calling out some of manufacturer Rashko Baba Co. Ltd’s cookware for leaching lead.
At the time, the public health department of King County in Washington state also shared a list of cookware products that testing showed could be unsafe due to lead.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has additional resources on lead in cookware.
Health Effects of Lead Exposure
There’s no safe amount of lead exposure, the FDA notes.
Being exposed to lead, even in small amounts, over months or years can cause levels in the blood to increase, leading to symptoms of lead poisoning, the Mayo Clinic says.
Lead exposure impacts children 6 and younger more dramatically than older children and adults. It also poses an increased risk for women of childbearing age and those who are breastfeeding, per the FDA.
Often, symptoms of lead poisoning do not occur until too much lead has built up in the blood, Mayo Clinic notes. Signs of lead poisoning vary by age.
Symptoms in children can include:
- Having learning difficulties
- Experiencing developmental delays
- Not being interested in eating
- Eating non-food items, such as paint chips, what’s also known as pica
Lead poisoning symptoms in adults can include:
- Having high blood pressure
- Experiencing achy joints and muscles
- Struggling to concentrate or not being able to remember things
- Experiencing abdominal cramping
If you’re concerned about possible lead exposure for yourself or loved ones, contact a health care provider, the FDA says.
Source link
