CEH Finds Lead in Ginger and Plum Candies
For all of you who are fond of ginger and plum candies, this is an important message. Please share it with everyone you know who enjoys these treats. For the last couple of months CEH has been buying and testing ginger and plum treats, especially at stores that specialize in Asian food. We’ve found that these candies are often contaminated with lead. Lots of lead. A 2006 California law set strict limits on lead contamination of candy. About 3/4 of the candies we tested were above the limit and some were about 20 times the limit.
The ginger and plum candies we tested were all purchased from Bay Area supermarkets: Lucky, 99 Ranch Market, Lion, Marina, and San Pablo International. We suspect that similar candies sold nationwide may have similar lead problems. Texas health officials issued a health warning about similar candies in 2009, and noted that these imported products come to the U.S. through both California and East Coast ports.
CEH will be working hard to make sure that supermarkets and candy distributors are selling candies without lead hazards. In the meantime we suggest that you avoid ginger and plum treats.
For more information, watch CEH’s Christine Cordero at our news conference: