While Indian government has set up FSSAI to have an uniform food safety norms for food safety for all foods .Indian spices have been found to contain lead over the standard limit in USA .Spice manufacturers in India should ensure that lead present in the spice matches the International standards .
A report
Researchers in Boston recently tested imported spices and food products in 15 Indian specialty stores and found a quarter of the samples contained more than 1 microgram of lead per gram, TIME reported yesterday.
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, was conducted after the lead poisonings of Indian children were linked to Indian spices. The link prompted researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and the Harvard School of Public Health to investigate whether lead in spices is a widespread problem.
In addition to finding lead in 25 percent of spices sampled, researchers found that, on average, imported spices contain double the amount of lead in U.S. spice brands.
Though most lead levels detected are well below the European Union's acceptable threshold, the authors of the study believe the trace levels are concerning, as they could add to exposure from other neurotoxins.
The FDA has different thresholds for allowable levels of lead in food products based on how often a product is likely to be used. Last summer, the FDA updated its guidance on lead likely to be consumed by small children, significantly lowering the recommended maximum level.
The FDA does not have specific guidelines for screening lead in imported spices.
Read more on
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/03/spice-regulation-facing-renewed-scrutiny/
No comments:
Post a Comment