Salt and spices regularly test high in both heavy metals (especially if from foreign countries; see this scientific study<\/a>) and microplastics. Food is required to have third party testing to check heavy metal levels, but companies are not required to share, and some are deliberately misleading. So it\u2019s good to ask salt companies to share their Certificate of Analysis (COA)\/ heavy metals analysis. Ideally they would get testing for each batch, because levels can vary between batches, but I\u2019m not sure if any do that. Otherwise, COA are more like snapshots in time, but, we can hope that brands who have low test results are sourcing from places that perhaps have consistently low levels. It\u2019s also a good sign when they share testing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Beware of companies that use fluffy, feel good language to beat around the bush and downplay lead concerns instead of sharing their testing. Organic and other certifications do NOT make things less likely to have lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n About microplastics in salt: Many salts has been found to contain micro-plastics<\/a>. Testing for micro-plastics is not required at all but a few brands do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to articles such as from Lead Safe Mama<\/a>, the \u201cBeneficial Trace Minerals\u201d found in mined (i.e., Himalayan) or gray unprocessed (i.e., Celtic) salts are unfounded. Also, as to what allowable levels of heavy metals in salt should be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs noted in a Harvard paper \u2026a safe amount of salt consumption should be in the neighborhood of 500 mg of sodium daily, which works out to about 1\/5 of one teaspoon of salt (and is significantly less<\/em> than \u2013 about 1\/7 <\/strong>\u2013 <\/em>the 1.5 teaspoons of<\/em><\/strong> salt actually consumed by most Americans each day!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Given Americans<\/em> typically consume 7 times (700%) the safe\/ recommended maximum amount of salt<\/em> \u2026 It might be prudent to divide these recommended E.U. levels by 7 to account for that overconsumption and come up with a more appropriate recommended safety level (based on typical salt consumption patterns and habits). So, referencing the EU standard, this adjustment would put the \u201csafety\u201d limit for<\/em><\/strong> Lead in regular salt at 142 ppb, and for gray salts at 284 ppb, respectively. This would put the recommended \u201csafety\u201d limit<\/em><\/strong> for Cadmium in salt at 121 ppb. (I have put the word \u201climit\u201d in bold to emphasize that this is a recommended MAXIMUM allowable amount \u2014 not a recommended<\/em> amount!)\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n I will also note that measuring by volume can be tricky with salts, as they come in different shapes and textures according to type. Kosher and table salt isn\u2019t interchangeable in recipes; table salt tastes twice as salty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the FDA<\/a>, <\/p>\n\n\n\n The following are salts that were reported (from documents received from the companies, some of which are reported in this link<\/a>, and some of which were posted publicly or emailed to me) to have low lead levels, or through independent testing<\/a>. Remember that levels can vary from batch to batch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Salts to avoid<\/strong>: Celtic\/French (although some Selina products are an exception), Italian, and most European salt will likely be higher in lead. Redmond’s Real Salt gave differing and misleading info, and independent testing found high levels of lead and aluminum). The latest testing (third party testing ordered by Lead Safe Mama) found 290 ppb lead and 91 ppb arsenic). <\/p>\n\n\n\n I have heard enough bad things (and lack of evidence about purported benefits) about Himalayan pink salt that I stopped adding more to my list. I know that is controversial and the choice for yourself is up to you. There are pros and cons to each type of salt, such as that genuine Himalayan doesn\u2019t have the risk of microplastic. But Himalayan<\/a> is often high in lead, aluminum (all pink salt that I\u2019ve seen tested for aluminum had elevated levels) and other contaminants. Here is an Australian study<\/a> and news report<\/a> about heavy metals found in pink salt. The propensity of risk of heavy metals in pink salt in particular makes me especially weary of it; even if we see some samples that test low; a different batch could be much higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note about making choices: This is the case for all posts, but just to be clear, everything is a personal choice. It\u2019s also a good idea to ask companies for their latest COA documents yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This isn\u2019t about worrying that salt will cause lead poisoning. Some people choose to avoid lead because it\u2019s toxic in minute amounts. And just because some people consume or are exposed to lead and test ND, certainly does not mean that whatever they ate was safe and it doesn\u2019t affect anyone. Some people choose to avoid lead because it\u2019s extremely toxic, not because we are afraid of lead poisoning or because it\u2019s all or nothing. It\u2019s important to consider taking a close look at products we use a lot, and some people use quite a bit of salt every day. However, it\u2019s also important to remember that we do need some sodium in our diets, so we can\u2019t worry too much about it. Also kind of have to take the coa\u2019s with a grain of salt \ud83d\ude02 in some ways, because like I mentioned, lead levels can vary. I make the best effort I can even when there are #noperfectoptions<\/p>\n\n\n\n While I do think it\u2019s good to have an idea about lead in foods and avoid eating a lot of foods likely to have high levels, there are a few reasons not to get overly paranoid and keep things in perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. There are guideline limits per day by the FDA to keep your blood blood levels low; I believe it\u2019s 3mcg per day for pregnant\/breastfeeding\/children and 12mcg per day for others. I am still really uncomfortable with adding unnecessary lead. But, it is impossible to avoid some lead in food. The reason you don\u2019t see lead poisoning from things like salt is probably because it doesn\u2019t it probably isn\u2019t used in big enough quantities to put people over these limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Dr. Gregor from NutritionFacts cited studies showing that if you took in food with your lead exposure, it can block up to 90% of the absorption. The lead we get from food can be buffered tremendously just by being in food. In regards to salt and spices, this is again another reason we don\u2019t hear of lead poisoning from these sources. Vitamins do have lead too, so it is recommended to take them with a meal. Another reason environmental lead exposure (like in water or paint dust) is so nefarious is because it\u2019s NOT in food. The food buffering is discussed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. There is also a publication that talks about the ability of the body to purge lead up to a certain degree. I will try to find that and link it here but essentially, the body can take in something like 3mcg per kg of body weight per day before it stops passing it through and starts to retain it. Participants in the study were given lead in food and then the lead was measured as it exited. Essentially up to that threshold, the body was able to rid the lead. Once you crossed that threshold, retention occurred. If you do the math, it\u2019s quite a lot. So that\u2019s why I said, it\u2019s good to be aware of lead in food but not necessarily get paranoid about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For all of the above, do remember that children absorb more than adults do, so it is good to be more prudent about lead in baby and children\u2019s food, as well as other lead exposures. Also for all the reasons listed, that is why the consistent exposures like in a home with lead paint impact BLL so much – the assault is non stop so the body can\u2019t get ahead of the ability to metabolize. And also because the lead is not in food and it is often getting into the body consistently throughout the day while the stomach is empty as well. Which is worst-case because you absorb most of what goes in. This is one reason why it\u2019s super important to make sure that children in homes that have lead risk are fed at least every two hours. Their little stomachs empty so often, you want to ensure that there is some food in their bellies to make sure that any lead is going in has a buffer of food to reduce absorption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Turmeric is almost always contaminated with lead, either from the growing conditions (usually from India) or from transportation of the equipment it\u2019s processed on (so even US made turmeric can have higher lead). Because lead is heavy it it sometimes even added deliberately to increase profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Turmeric actually poses a real risk for causing lead poisoning. There was even a case where children (twins boy and girl) were poisoned by playing with the red and yellow powders used for bindi dots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scientific or news articles about the issue of health effects caused by lead in turmeric:<\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/europepmc.org\/article\/PMC\/5415259?fbclid=IwAR0XxhBfgIN7eJEI1UQv6lLY6vRP_Zn9gwagTPUjM2m3K-yJslWoXkQN6-o<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0013935119305195?via%3Dihub&fbclid=IwAR132Vd6i6PQ_7fLrMXSDbXlbRazRnb1ZFX0OJy46W7G-uRggSM8BHzgoMs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/www.kuow.org\/stories\/turmeric-poisoned-their-kids-four-seattle-area-cases-show-gaps-in-lead-testing<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n And an article about brands that were recalled<\/a> for high lead levels in turmeric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anything powdered and ground and packaged is risky because of the equipment. Black pepper, basil, are always generally high no matter what brand. I\u2019ve heard Cinnamon is usually lower in lead (but there have been issues with products found not to be genuine cinnamon. Also in the food industry council list of prop 65 foods<\/a> that there was quite a bit of cinnamon in there). Most garlic powder comes from China and I\u2019ve read about issues with arsenic, and also growing in manure and such.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another reason to replace your old spice jars is because the lids<\/a> were found to have lead. I\u2019m not sure how much of an exposure risk it is, but something to note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only foods that get most of their contamination from processing (rather than \u201cnaturally occurring\u201d which is still a misnomer but is referring to the soil used for growing) requires a Prop 65 warning about lead. That\u2019s why chocolate has a warning<\/a>. Spices probably should too but the industry may not have caught up with that yet. Cocoa is actually a crop that doesn\u2019t absorb heavy metals very well; Contamination is almost 100% from manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consumer Reports published an articl<\/a>e about spice brands and reported that \u201calmost a third had heavy metal levels high enough to raise health concerns.\u201d I think it\u2019s important to note, they all contain some level of metals (potentially high). The article doesn\u2019t even mention what amounts they are talking abound. As their report gets re-shared with misleading titles by other outlets, I\u2019m worried that lots of people are getting the wrong impression that the \u201cbetter\u201d ones are lead free, when they aren\u2019t even necessarily low lead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For dried spices for sale in the US, 3 ppm (3000 ppb) lead is what all suppliers are required to be under. That is insanely high.<\/strong> To put it in perspective, water toxicity (AAP level) is 1 ppb. so even extrapolating for quantity, you don’t want to see these things higher than 50 ppb – including salt. A teaspoon of pepper (2g) at 3ppm (3,000 ppb) is 6 ug of lead. That\u2019s massive! If you ate a tablespoon at 130 ppb you would be over the Prop 65 limit (which is a weak limit). A TBSP might sound like a lot, but for spices like turmeric that people use in larger amounts and\/or daily, it\u2019s not that unusual and this would be too high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a Facebook group called \u201cContaminated spices and other foods, sold in US stores and worldwide\u201d looking into these issues. As of November 2021, I have incorporated all pertinent info from the guide pages of that site into this blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider buying fresh, whole turmeric root (it looks like ginger root) and grating it yourself. Hawaii is a good source for organic turmeric. You can also cut, dehydrate, and blend in a spice grinder. Consumer Reports Guide to Growing, Drying, and Storing Herbs and Spices<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I haven\u2019t tried this but I\u2019ve read you can just use a grater: Peel tumeric. Use cheese grater to fine-grate Tumeric. Spread on a plate and let air dry or place under stove warmer lights to dry faster. Use a spoon to grind on said plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is possible to grow or buy cayenne, garlic, onions, basil and dehydrate, or buy whole dried and grind in a coffee grinder (a separate one than the one you use for coffee). If you buy garlic, look for US grown. Nutmeg you can buy the whole nut and use a grater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Specific Products for Which I\u2019ve Seen Data for Heavy Metals:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n -Electric Institute garlic supplement: 5 ppb lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Red Ape Cinnamon 290 ppb<\/p>\n\n\n\n -There was recent independent testing of organic cinnamon but they didn\u2019t test Red Ape. Here are the lowest metals levels they found for Cinnamon:<\/p>\n\n\n\n -365 Whole Foods Market Organic Cinnamon Ground \u2014 Non-detect glyphosate, 14.87 ug\/kg lead, & 93.75 ug\/kg cadmium<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Morton & Basset Spice Organic Ground Cinnamon \u2014 Non-detect glyphosate, 22.1 ug\/kg lead, & 72.61 ug\/kg of cadmium<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Spice Islands Est. 1941 Organic Ground Saigon Cinnamon \u2014 Non-detect glyphosate, 93.75 ug\/kg lead, & 257.34 ug\/kg cadmium<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Red Ape Turmeric 290 ppb<\/p>\n\n\n\n -American Turmeric Co. This turmeric is grown in the US, in Georgia. They test their turmeric; it’s <0.015 ppm (less than 15 ppb) lead. However, their nickel and zinc may be high; other COAs from other companies haven\u2019t included those so I don\u2019t have a point of reference to compare. They recently became organic. Something is mentioned about vitamin C used as a preservative; I haven\u2019t looked into it. -Health Ranger organic liquid gold turmeric: Every batch is tested and is 25 ppb or less. It\u2019s also tested for glyphosate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Paleo Valley makes turmeric capsules 36 ppb. I personally didn\u2019t like how they claim they are lead free, but that is a low amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Mountain Rose Organics tests per batch of turmeric; the most recent I\u2019ve seen was 253 ppb in March 2021 and 143 ppb in June 2019. Other times it has been 79 ppb. You might want to ask for a recent coa since it seems to be rising. They are also Fair Trade Certified. Their cinnamon was .287 mcg per .7 gram in March 2021. Someone else calculated this to be 600 ppb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mountain Rose Organics says that for the rest of their spices they say their heavy metal specifications are as follows in parts per million (ppm) (move decimal three places to the right to convert to ppb, it gets much higher that way). The COA documents that they share are in-house rather than third party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arsenic < 3ppm<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cadmium < 3ppm<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lead < 3ppm (3000 ppb)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mercury <2 ppm<\/p>\n\n\n\n Total metal amount <10 ppm<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Starwest Botanicals turmeric- 130 ppb<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Pure Synergy turmeric- 500 ppb<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Other brands that may be safer for turmeric (but I\u2019d ask for COA before you buy): Pure encapsulations, Enzymedica, Gaia, Megafood, Smarter Nutrition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Anthonys Goods – They advertise on Amazon as “lead free” but showed an analysis that said its under 3 ppm (3000 ppb) which is what the threshold is for any supplier. He said that\u2019s how the agency who tests provides him the results, meaning it\u2019s possibly lower but they weren\u2019t testing to that level of detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n –NOW Foods<\/a> claims to stay under Prop 65 levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Simply Organic – Won\u2019t release info, just says they are within the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Frontier co-op – Will not share heavy metals info for any spices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Starwest Botanicals – (for products other than turmeric) it might depend on which representative you talk to, but some have said no. The one COA I did see from them simply said \u201cless than 3 ppm\u201d (that would be 3000 ppb). Also it appears some of their products do have a prop 65 warning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -The Spice Lab – Although they provide testing levels of salt, they wouldn’t tell about the turmeric. They say it\u2019s lead free, but companies often use this phrase because they don\u2019t understand the measurement of lead and think it\u2019s just trace amounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Truvani – says they test but won\u2019t share their heavy metals info for any products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -McFadden Family Vineyards – \u201cwe don’t do heavy metal testing\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Spice Supreme – I\u2019m not sure if they share any data, but here\u2019s a past article<\/a> about a lawsuit regarding high levels, probably in relation to Prop 65.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Bulk Herb Store -They aren\u2019t sure if they test below 3,000 ppb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Ceylon Cinnamon Shop- Won\u2019t share anymore <\/p>\n\n\n\n -Some of Navitas Organics products, like Maca, Cacao, Turmeric, Mulberries, Goji Berries, and Blends, fall under California\u2019s Proposition 65 labeling requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Cinnamon from Azure Standard came with a lead warning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More about Jacobsen salt,<\/strong> copied from their site: \u201cLead:<\/strong> Our Fine Italian Sea Salt is from Trapani, Italy and is harvested in centuries old tradition. As such, there are trace amounts of lead detected, 100 ppb in testing to an LOQ of 20 ppb. Our most recent laboratory analysis was performed by OMIC USA Inc. on February 5, 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our Pink Himalayan Salt is mined from ancient ocean beds and has a higher mineral content than any other salt we offer. Testing from our suppliers shows this salt to have a lead count average of less than 500ppb. If you are concerned about lead levels, we suggest using our Kosher Sea Salt as a substitute. ***Thank you for visiting Clean Green Toxicant Free! I started this site simply because I want to help people and share information. I dig deep and seek the most truly non-toxic products, without bias. I am not paid to write anything and I don\u2019t sell anything. In 2022 I became an Amazon Associate, which does NOT bias my recommendations. I may earn small dividends from purchases made after clicking my clearly labeled affiliate links (even if you don\u2019t buy those specific items), which covers the costs I pay to maintain this site, at no cost to you. More info is on the About This Website <\/a>page.***<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mineral Content and Standards for Heavy Metals in Food:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Best Salt Brands:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Don\u2019t Freak Out Too Much\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Turmeric Risks:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5415259\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nSpice Risks:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Best Options for Spices:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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https:\/\/www.americanturmeric.com\/online-store Here is their COA:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cleangreentoxicantfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/262C79C7-3B3E-4914-9128-FA5C38EB487B.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBrands Who Wouldn\u2019t Share Heavy Metals Data or Don\u2019t Have it:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Brands That are Over Prop 65 Levels:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To check out new and additional posts, please visit and \u201clike\u201d my Facebook page<\/a>. Thanks!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Microplastics: Sadly, microplastics are present in our oceans. The filtered sea water we use is tested semi-annually by Polyhedron Laboratories. The last test was performed on June 1, 2021 and no microplastics were detected. All of our incoming sea water is filtered through a 0.5 micron filter (equivalent to 0.0005mm).
Potential Radioactive Isotopes: In the wake of the devastating Fukushima nuclear disaster we have had concerns of the lasting impact on our oceans. We sent samples of our salt to the Center for Health Protection, Radiation Protection Services of the Oregon Health Authority. A low level gamma spectrometry analysis reported no radioactive isotopes were present to an LOQ of 5 becquerels per kilogram.
Most recent testing for radiation was performed in October 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n