Dried herbs and spices added to food can be a “surprising and worrisome” source of heavy metals for kids and adults, a Consumer Reports investigation found.
After testing 126 dried herbs and spices from 38 brands for arsenic, cadmium and lead, Consumer Reports labeled the products as either of “no concern,” “some concern,” “moderate concern” or “high concern.”
All of the oregano and thyme tested — no matter the brand — was deemed to be of at least “some concern” by CR.Other spices, including basil, chili powder, cumin, ginger, paprika and turmeric, fell into the “some concern” or “moderate concern” category depending on the brand, but also had at least one “no concern” option.
The spices that had “no concern” scores across the board from any brands tested included black pepper, coriander, curry powder, garlic powder, saffron, sesame seed and white pepper.La Flor and Happy Belly did not reply to a TODAY request for comment. TODAY also didn’t hear back from the American Spice Trade Association, but the group told Consumer Reports its risk analysis found spices made up less than 0.1% of dietary lead exposure in children 1 to 6 years old.