Alert over PRAN turmeric

Turmeric powder packaged by PRAN group has been recalled from US stores after it was found with unacceptable levels of lead in it.

The US Food and Drug Administration in a press release on Oct 8 said the product's importer Asia Cash & Carry Inc. of Maspeth, New York, is voluntarily recalling jars of PRAN’s turmeric powder.

Primary testing of the 250gm jar of turmeric powder found it contained 28 parts per million (ppm) of lead after sampling by New York State Health Department and in private laboratory testing.

Similarly OnTime Distribution Inc. of Brooklyn, NY, has also voluntarily recalled the product by a notice on Oct 3 after it was found to contain lead levels as high as 28 and 42 ppm.

Another importer, Best Value Inc, of Detroit Michigan in a similar press release dated Oct 15 said testing of PRAN turmeric powder in 400g packets has found to contain 53 ppm of lead.

“Lead can accumulate in the body over time. Too much of it can cause health problems, including delayed mental and physical development and learning deficiencies.

“Pregnant women, infants and young children especially should avoid exposure to lead,” the notice warned.

The FDA notice also advised that those concerned about blood lead levels should contact their physician or health clinic to ask for testing.

One consumer of the turmeric powder complained on falling sick, prompting the testing of PRAN’s product.

The notice asked consumers who had already bought the product not to consume it and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

PRAN blames this on the 'quality of soil in Bangladesh'.

Its director (marketing) Kamruzzaman Kamal told bdnews24.com correspondent Sheikh Abdullah: “We have explained our position to the US authorities when they enquired. This is due to the quality of Bangladesh’s soil and not because of our processing."

“Standards are maintained in the processing of our products. We have been exporting spices for a long time. But our standards don’t always match the standard set in Europe and America. Now, the health department has all of a sudden raised objections," he said.

The PRAN official claimed FDA had put other manufacturers, too, under their scanner and not just PRAN.

But the notices on FDA’s website (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm) are only directed at PRAN's turmeric powder.

PRAN brand Spice Powder Turmeric was distributed in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Illinois, Hamtramck of Michigan through retail stores.

The discovery of unacceptable levels of toxic elements like lead in a Bangladeshi product might lead to severe scrutiny by the US authorities on other exports from the country.

There already exist concerns about expiry dates on food products being inaccurate in products imported from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.

There are also consumer concerns about the processing of these products.

According to US data, spice products worth $10 million are sold to South Asian consumers in the US market.

Importers are worried that the controversy over PRAN's turmeric powder might put their businesses at risk.

Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) Director Khorsed Alam told bdnews24.com: “The lead in the soil of Bangladesh is as normal as that of other South Asian countries.

“There is a bit of high level of lead in the soil of country’s industrial areas but that cannot be a pretext to blame the country’s soil by and large for the higher level of lead.”

Prof Rafiqul Islam of the Department of Soil Science at Bangladesh Agricultural University said, “There are many countries where the quantity of lead in the soil is more than that in Bangladesh.”

“The level of lead in our country’s soil is not toxic at all.”

“The level of lead may have increased in the turmeric at the factory where this spice is being processed or the pots that are being used while processing it”, Rafiqul said.

“We have recently carried out research on rice in our country. We did not find any harmful level of lead in the staple. So there should not be any harmful level of lead in other crops,” he added.