High levels of lead found in cinnamon powder, spice blends of 12 brands in US: Report
New York: An analysis by Consumer Reports has revealed concerning levels of lead in a variety of cinnamon powders and multi-spice blends sold in the United States. The investigation, which tested 36 different products, found that 12 brands exceeded the lead safety threshold of 1 part per million (ppm) established by New York, the only state currently regulating heavy metals in spices in the U.S.
Consumer Reports, a non-profit organisation, identified high lead levels in several cinnamon powder and multi-spice products from 12 brands, including Paras, EGN, Mimi's Products, Bowl and Basket, Rani Brand, Zara Foods, Three Rivers, Yu Yee Brand, BaiLiFeng, Spicy King, Badia, and Deep.
The brand Paras exhibited the highest lead content in cinnamon powder at 3.52 ppm, followed by EGN at 2.91 ppm, Mimi’s Products ground cinnamon at 2.03 ppm, Bowl and Basket ground cinnamon at 1.82 ppm, Rani ground cinnamon at 1.39 ppm, Zara Foods cinnamon powder at 1.27 ppm, Three Rivers cinnamon stick powder at 1.26 ppm, Yu Yee Brand five spice powder at 1.25 ppm, BaiLiFeng five spice powder at 1.15 ppm, Spicy King five spices powder at 1.05 ppm, Badia cinnamon powder at 1.03 ppm, and Deep cinnamon powder at 1.02 ppm, as mentioned by Times of India on Wednesday.
James Rogers, the director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports, highlighted health risks linked to lead exposure, pointing out that even small amounts of the mentioned cinnamon products can accumulate in the body over time, leading to serious health concerns.
The report, which was published last month, advised consumers not to solely rely on labels such as "organic" or the source of the cinnamon, and recommended avoiding unfamiliar brands.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), lead exposure can lead to severe developmental issues in children and long-term health problems in adults, including increased blood pressure and kidney damage. Additionally, high levels of lead exposure in pregnant women can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, and low birth weight.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
