Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead
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Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead
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Re: Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead
#2All the thymes and oreganos? Wow
Re: Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead
#3> CONSUMER REPORTS tested 126 herbs and spices from 38 brands for arsenic, cadmium, and lead. (We did not test spices that tend to be used in baking, such as cinnamon and nutmeg.) We tested two or three samples from different lots of each product.
This testing is frustratingly sparse, couldn't they find garlic powder in Trader Joe's? They're missing many brands for many of these spices. And I don't think you can bake heavy metals out of food, so why did they omit cinnamon?
What is a concerned consumer like myself supposed to do now? Eat food without spices? Buy test kits and test spices myself? I guess I could write a letter to my congresspeople to tell the FDA to do their goddamn jobs, but I don't expect that to work.
Re: Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead
#4> CONSUMER REPORTS tested 126 herbs and spices from 38 brands for arsenic, cadmium, and lead. (We did not test spices that tend to be used in baking, such as cinnamon and nutmeg.) We tested two or three samples from different lots of each product. This testing is frustratingly sparse, couldn't they find garlic powder in Trader Joe's? They're missing many brands for many of these spices. And I don't think you can bake…
You mean you expect the government to fund themselves enough to actually do there job?
Re: Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead
#5All the thymes and oreganos? Wow
The good news is both of them are easy to grow indoors or outdoors, and they're perennial. Perennial herbs include rosemary, lavender, marjoram, tarragon, sage, mint, parsely, lemon balm, chives, sorrel, yarrow, chicory, savory, bay laurel, lovage, hyssop, anise, chamomile, bergamot, alfalfa, clover... the list goes on. You can use them fresh, or make your own dried herbs.
On top of that, variants of thyme work as a hearty no-hassle replacement for grass, and it even flowers.
Re: Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead
#6All the thymes and oreganos? Wow
Pretty easy to grow your own, from seed even, but most plant nurseries will have these in their herb section.
Re: Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead
#7Re: Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead
#8All the thymes and oreganos? Wow
Pretty easy to grow your own, from seed even, but most plant nurseries will have these in their herb section.
It's not clear where the heavy metals are coming from. One possibility mentioned in the article is the soil itself. I wonder if even potting soil is tested for heavy metals? If heavy metals get through whatever food testing is done by the FDA, McCormick, etc., I don't have great confidence that soil testing is any better. That said, I would think growing your own is safer.
Re: Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead
#9> CONSUMER REPORTS tested 126 herbs and spices from 38 brands for arsenic, cadmium, and lead. (We did not test spices that tend to be used in baking, such as cinnamon and nutmeg.) We tested two or three samples from different lots of each product. This testing is frustratingly sparse, couldn't they find garlic powder in Trader Joe's? They're missing many brands for many of these spices. And I don't think you can bake…
You mean you expect the government to fund themselves enough to actually do there job?
How much did CR spend to buy these spices? A few hundred dollars? A thousand at most? I don't know how much the tests themselves cost to run, but I can find lead test kits on Amazon for under $20. The biggest cost would doubtlessly be manpower so.. put some interns on the job?
But yes, I expect the FDA's lame excuse will be "Gee wiz we wish we could do our jobs but we need another billion dollars for what you're suggesting." Such is the way with the American government.
Re: Herbs and Spices Might Contain Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
Pretty easy to grow your own, from seed even, but most plant nurseries will have these in their herb section.
It's not clear where the heavy metals are coming from. One possibility mentioned in the article is the soil itself. I wonder if even potting soil is tested for heavy metals? If heavy metals get through whatever food testing is done by the FDA, McCormick, etc., I don't have great confidence that soil testing is any better. That said, I would think growing your own is safer.
You assume the soil you have is "safe"