Your herbs and spices may contain arsenic, cadmium and lead - Consumer Reports (2023)

Open a drawer or cabinet in any American kitchen and you're likely to find a few jars of dried herbs and spices.

Jessica Clark, a mother of two from Lincoln, Nebraska, says she uses them so often that she buys them in bulk and mixes them herself. Erica Burger of Carmel, Indiana, says she's become "addicted" to the 21-spice blend — so much so that she now uses it in all kinds of dishes. “It's so delicious, meuse less saltin general,” he says. And Joey Davis, who grew up in San Diego "where Mexican food is on every corner" and whose Jamaican wife "puts habanero on everything, including cucumber salad," says that at home, "you can't imagine a dish without spices and herbs."

For many of us, herbs and spices play a big role in cooking and family life. The recipe may only call for a pinch or three of cumin, cayenne and garlic powder, but what would your grandmother's arroz con pollo be without them? How about your Simon & Garfunkel secret fish rub - you know, the one with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme?

Also worrying: there was no single predictor of which products contained higher levels of heavy metals – for example, the brand didn't matter, nor did "organically'or 'packaged in USA'.

Good news? Many products performed well in tests. In seven of the 15 types of herbs and spices tested, the heavy metal levels in all brands were below our threshold values, giving rise to concern. In most others, we found at least one brand that fits into the No Worries category. And none of the herbs and spices tested were contaminated with the salmonella bacteria they can causeFood poisoning.

A single serving of any herb or spice tested by CR is unlikely to cause harm, says Dr. James E. Rogers, CR's Director of Food Safety and Testing. And there are wayslimit your riskchoose and use spices carefully. However, some products contain enough heavy metals, even in small amounts used in the kitchen, to cause concern with regular use.

“When people think about heavy metals in their diet, if they think about it at all, it's probably about thatlead in drinking wateror arsenic in their children's fruit juice or breakfast cereal," says Rogers. "But our tests show that dried herbs and spices can be a surprising and disturbing source for children and adults alike."

Heavy metal hazard

Frequent exposure to even small amounts of lead, arsenic, cadmium and other heavy metals is dangerous, partly because the human body has difficulty breaking them down or removing them. Over time, exposure to these heavy metals can damage your health. In children, it can affect brain development, increasing the risk of behavioral problems and lower IQ. In adults, it can cause problems with the central nervous system, reproductive problems andhypertensionand can damage your kidneys and immune system.

"Since the risks are serious," Rogers says, "it's in your best interest to limit your heavy metal intake as much as possible."

Heavy metals can show up in food if the water or soil in which the food is grown contains them naturally or is contaminated by pesticides or industrial applications, said Tunde Akinleye, a CR chemist who oversaw the tests. Heavy metals can also leach into foods, including herbs and spices, during production - for example from processing equipment or packaging.

Laura Shumow, executive director of the American Spice Trade Association, says it is nearly impossible to get rid of all heavy metals in herbs and spices because of their "inevitable presence in the environment where they are grown." It also states that the amount of heavy metals absorbed from the soil and the part of the plant they can reach varies from plant to plant. The trade group offers guidance to companies on ways to reduce pollution that they can implement at their suppliers.

Shumow says condiments account for less than 0.1 percent of dietary lead exposure in children ages 1 to 6, according to a recent ASTA risk analysis. ASTA believes that even for adults the risk is low, "mainly because spices are such a small part of the diet."

However, the CR data underscores a broader problem. "People use herbs and spices in their kitchen many times a day," says Akinleye. For some spices, just one serving - ¾ teaspoon or more - a day leaves little room for exposure to heavy metals from other sources. For example, previous CR tests showed that some brandsfruit juice,baby food, iRiscontain alarming amounts of heavy metals.

Small amounts of some products can be a problem if they are combined with others in a recipe. For example, a dish that contains only ¼ teaspoon of Great Value chili powder (Walmart), Trader Joe's organic cumin, and La Flor oregano per portion contain enough arsenic and cadmium and may cause concern.

Other research also suggests that herbs and spices may contribute to heavy metal exposure. E.g,2018 surveyThe Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found high levels of lead in 22 percent of food samples — mostly spices and herbal remedies — taken from the homes of lead-poisoned children in North Carolina.

And a2010 surveylinked a case of lead poisoning in a 12-month-old Massachusetts boy in part to the turmeric used by the family. Five similar cases were later discovered in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut and New York. And over a dozenturmeric productswe remind you from 2011.

However, CR tests show that companies that produce herbs and spices can reduce the content of heavy metals in their products. "About two-thirds of the spices we tested did not contain adequate levels of heavy metals," says Akinleye. "So we know that spices don't have to contain alarming amounts of lead, arsenic or any other heavy metal."

Herbs and spices grown abroad

The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for the safety of herbs and spices. The agency has not set limits for heavy metals in food except in a few cases, such as arsenic in baby rice cereal and lead in candy. However, spice companies are required to conduct periodic food safety reviews, which include testing for chemical hazards such as heavy metals, says Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at CR.

"Heavy metal testing is part of a broader risk assessment process that FDA may conduct if it determines that sample collection and analysis is warranted for a particular shipment," an agency spokesman said.

Importantly, the FDA can also test herbs and spices shipped to the US and block products if it deems them a health risk. That's important because most of the spices sold in the U.S. are grown overseas — in countries like China, India and Vietnam — and some studies show that oversight of food production is sometimes less strict there.

But while you may want to know where the herbs and spices you use are grown, it's not easy to determine. CR's food safety experts found lots labeled "U.S. Packed" but provided no other information. For other products, multiple countries were listed, indicating that the final product was a mixture from more than one source.

Currently, around twenty spice manufacturers from 11 countries are subject to import notices for lead contamination, signaling to authorities that they may freeze these products. However, this is a fraction of the herbs and spices shipped to the United States. Also, the FDA's limited spice tests focused on harmful bacteria like salmonella rather than heavy metals, says Ronholm.

Self control

The lack of regulation leaves much of the monitoring of heavy metal levels to companies. CR contacted all the products in our test to see how they reduced heavy metals.

Of the companies that responded to our inquiries - Al Wadi Al Akhdar, Costco, Bolner's Fiesta, Gebhardt, Litehouse, McCormick, Roland Foods, Spice Islands, Target and Whole Foods - some said they require their suppliers to have an audit - or test program for heavy metals. However, only three companies - Al Wadi Al Akhdar, Bolner's Fiesta and McCormick - have explicitly stated that they test products at their production facilities for heavy metal content.

Costco, Litehouse and McCormick have said they aim for heavy metal content as close to zero as possible, but none of the companies have specified what limits they consider acceptable.

For years, California has required products that exceed limits for substances known to cause cancer or reproductive harm, including heavy metals, to carry a warning label. But currently, New York is the only state that has itlimits have been set for heavy metalsin herbs and spices.

She raised them after more than 100 herbs and spices were recalled from the market due to heavy metal contamination since 2016, said Jola Szubielski, a spokeswoman for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Once enforcement begins, the state can force recalls of products with elevated levels of heavy metals.

Safe season

While the risks of heavy metals in herbs and spices are real, reducing your risk doesn't mean condemning yourself to a life of bland food or giving up old family favorites. Follow these tips.

Choose products with the lowest content of heavy metals.CR testing has shown that at least one product fits into our "No worries" category for every herb and spice tested, with the exception of oregano and thyme.

Focus on herbs and spices with lower heavy metal content.It was black pepper, coriander, curry powder, garlic powder, saffron, sesame seeds and white pepper. That's not to say that all brands of these herbs and spices are low in heavy metals, because we haven't tested them all. But low-risk versions are easy to find.

Don't assume that some brands are safer than others.CR tests did not determine whether a given brand was consistently better or worse than others. Organic produce did not consistently have lower levels than conventionally grown produce. While this may come as a surprise to some, CR's Ronholm says the USDA standards for organic produce do not include testing for heavy metals.

Roll out and dry yours.It can be a particularly good idea if you use a lot of basil, oregano and thyme. in our tests, all or almost all of the brands we tested had a high content of heavy metals. Read more abouthow to grow and dry your own herbs and spices;.

Think twice before bringing herbs and spices from your travels abroad.Other studies show that the heavy metal content of these products can be much higher. Ronholm says American companies can import higher-quality herbs and spices, which can result in lower-quality versions being sold in the country of origin.

Consider the total potential exposure to heavy metals.This is especially important if there are children in the house. Our tests remind us that steps must be taken to limit potential exposure to heavy metals from all sources.

This means not only choosing low-risk spices when possible, but alsotest the water for lead and arsenic, and if levels are high, install a water filter.

And if you have little ones at home, check out CR's selection tipsifIcereal for childrenthat have a low content of heavy metals.