Environmental Health Coalition warns parents to be aware of the potential hazards of tamarind candies that have been found to be contaminated with lead.
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EHC collected tamarind and chile candies from a variety of local stores and sent them to the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). Officials there are working with the California Department of Health Services (DHS) to have the products tested and analyzed by an independent laboratory.
Preliminary results indicate that some candies contain high levels of lead. DHS will test these candies at the State of California laboratory to confirm the levels of lead.
The wrapper and/or the candy in the products listed below contain lead at levels that exceed federal standards.
Lead may be deposited onto a child’s
hands while handling the product. Due to their frequent hand to mouth
behavior, children may become poisoned. The tamarind candy also is acidic,
which may cause the lead from the wrapper to leach into the product.
The candies suspected to contain high levels of lead, according to
independent testing are:
• Tama Roca
• Serpintina
• Chaca Chaca
• Tablarindo
The following candies are known to contain lead, according to a Department of Health Services health advisory dated April 26, 2001. These candies are sold by Dulmex. They are:
• Bolirindo lolipops
• Coconut rolls
• Tamarindo rolls
Lead poisoning is still the number one environmental health threat to children under the age of six. Most children are poisoned through chronic, low-level exposures which can cause many developmental problems including reduced IQ, hyperactivity, impaired growth, learning disabilities, and behavior problems.
For more information on EHC’s Lead Poisoning Prevention program, contact Leticia Ayala at (619) 235-0281 or email LeticiaA@environmentalhealth.org