Safety Alert: Regulators warn consumers aluminum cookware may leach lead into foods (Full List)

*The United States’ Food and Drug Administration warns that some imported aluminum cookware may leach lead into food, posing health risks to consumers

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

The United States’ (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cautioned that it discovered some imported aluminum and brass cookware may leach lead into foods, making them unsafe for consumers.

The FDA said such affected cookware are especially products made of materials, such as aluminum, brass, or certain aluminum alloys (names like Hindalium/Hindolium or Indalium/Indolium).

ConsumerConnect gathered that testing by the health regulatory agency and state partners in the American country showed that when some of these products are used for cooking or even storing food, lead can leach out —making what you eat potentially unsafe.

Which products are affected?

The FDA disclosed the following items tested positive for lead leaching at testing:

1. Tiger White Kadai/Karahi (Pure Aluminum Utensils, Saraswati Strips Pvt. Ltd., India) – sold at Mannan Supermarket, Jamaica, NY.
2. Silver Horse Aluminium Mathar Kadai 26 (UPC 7 6554273084 5) – sold at Patel Brothers, Schaumburg, IL.
3. Silver Horse Aluminium Milk Pan 4 (UPC 7 6554272863 7) – sold at Patel Brothers, Schaumburg, IL.
4. JK Vallabhdas Aluminium Kadai (India Bazaar #3 2000000772) – sold at Indiacos, Hoffman Estates, IL.

The agency, therefore, warned that these listed products are just ones tested so far, noting the other cookware could also be affected.

Categories of consumers most at risk

Lead is toxic, and no level of exposure is considered safe, agency report said.

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According to FDA however, noted that some people are more vulnerable as listed below:

Kids and babies – because of their rapid growth and developing brains.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women — because lead can affect fetal development.

Anyone exposed long-term — even if they don’t see symptoms at first.

As regards the measure consumers should take in seeking redress, if they have one of these products, the regulators urged them to check the FDA’s list of tested cookware — and see if anything you own matches.

If it does, the affected consumers are also advised stop using it for cooking or food storage right away.

“Do not donate it, refurbish it, or give it away.

“If you think you may have been exposed to lead (especially kids, pregnant women), talk to a health care provider about testing,” regulators stated.

Meanwhile, the FDA is continuing to monitor the market, and testing cookware, assuring that  more products may be added to the warning list.

Similarly, manufacturers, retailers, and importers are being encouraged to use lead‐leaching tests, follow FDA protocols, and make sure any cookware sold is safe.

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