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 published on Tuesday found.
When the organization tested 15 types of spices, almost one-third of the products from national and private-label brands — 40 of 126 — had high enough levels of arsenic, lead and cadmium combined, on average, “to pose a health concern for children when regularly consumed in typical serving sizes,” the report found. Adults could be affected, too.
Thyme and oregano were particularly worrisome, with all the products tested containing heavy metal levels that CR experts called concerning.
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.
Consumer Reports also warned levels of lead were so high in 31 products that they exceeded the maximum amount anyone should have in a day.
Toxic elements such as arsenic are present in the environment. They can also enter the food supply through industrial, manufacturing and agricultural processes.
You may wonder if spices are that big of a deal since people add just a pinch and don’t eat them by the spoonful. But the concern is the cumulative potential risk of heavy metals — ingesting them from different sources that add up to unhealthy amounts — since heavy metals can also show up in water and other products, she noted.
Exposure to metals comes from many different foods, which means that “combining all of the foods we eat, even low levels of harmful metals from individual food sources, can sometimes add up to a level of concern,” noted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which sets standards for metals in foods.
Heavy metals can impair children’s brain development and exposure has been liked with heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and cancer, according to the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund.
Test results
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.”
Three products reached the “high concern” threshold: La Flor ground oregano, La Flor ground turmeric and Happy Belly (Amazon) ground thyme.
All of the oregano and thyme tested — no matter the brand — was deemed to be of at least “some concern” by CR.
Popular brands, including McCormick, Spice Islands, Great Value (Walmart), Kirkland Signature (Costco), Trader Joe’s and 365 Whole Foods Market, all had products that fell either into the “some concern” or “moderate concern” category.
Consumer Reports did not test baking spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.
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