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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Media bodies slam Journalist Mahesh Langa's arrest, term it 'overreach'
New Delhi, Oct 10: Media organisations on Thursday expressed concern over the arrest and ten-day custody of journalist Mahesh Langa by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, terming his interrogation a "procedural overreach".
In a joint statement, Press Club of India, Delhi Union of Journalists, Indian Women's Press Corps and Press Association said his questioning was "perhaps" a means to harass an individual whose name doesn't even feature in the primary FIR.
Langa, arrested for his alleged involvement in a GST evasion case, is a "well- known and fearless journalist" with a career of employment in many reputed publications.
"His reports on developments related to Gujarat have been widely appreciated," the press bodies said.
They said, according to available details, Langa is neither the director nor a promoter of the company that finds mention in the FIR filed on the complaint of the Directorate General of GST Intelligence Unit, Ahmedabad, and no transaction and signature was found in his name.
"Even as the law should be allowed to take its own course, we feel that the custodial interrogation of Mahesh Langa is a procedural overreach and perhaps a means to harass an individual whose name doesn't even feature in the primary FIR," they said.
"Whereas getting to the bottom of the issue is important, we feel that due process should not be compromised and accused persons not unduly harassed under the pretext of extended custodial interrogation," they added.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Tuesday arrested Langa, a senior journalist in Gujarat.
On Monday, the city Crime Branch registered an FIR against several persons and entities after getting a complaint from central GST over an alleged scam involving shell firms set up to defraud the government through bogus input tax credit and fraudulent transactions, a release by the Crime Branch said.
