A popular condiment known for giving your meal a kick may be exposing you to dangerous levels of lead as well. Mother Nature Network reports (via Grist) that researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas found lead in a number of samples of hot sauce. Sixteen percent of the 25 bottles of hot sauce sampled contained lead levels that exceeded the FDA's allowable limit of 0.1 parts per million (ppm), with the worst offenders having more than double the permissible amount of lead in them.
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All of the hot sauces that were sampled were from Mexico or South America and were purchased at ethnic markets, grocery stores, and food swaps. The hot sauces that exceeded the allowable lead amounts were: El Pato Salsa Picante Hot Sauce (0.23 ppm), El Yucateco Salsa Picante de Chile Habanero (0.21 ppm), Bufalo Salsa Classica (0.17 ppm), and Castillo Salsa Habenera (0.14 ppm).
While 16-percent of 25 hot sauces may only yield four products that exceeded the lead limit, it’s still four too many products, particularly when excess lead can have serious health effects. We often hear of the dangers of lead for children who are exposed to it (and on the rare chance that your children happen to frequently eat hot sauce, you should be very careful as to which ones you serve them after seeing the results this study), but the Environmental Protection Agency lists decreased kidney function, reproductive issues, increase in blood pressure and hypertension, and nervous system problems, as the side effects of increased exposure to lead in adults.
“The results indicate the need for more rigorous screening protocols for products imported in Mexico, including an applicable standard for hot sauce,” said UNLV researcher Shawn Gerstenberger. “Without enforceable standards for hot sauces and condiments, manufacturers will not be encouraged to improve quality control measures designed to reduce the amounts of lead and other toxic elements before exporting.”
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Until new standards are in place and enforced, you may want to purchase hot sauce not manufactured in Mexico or South America.
Image Credit: Steve Snodgrass
