Check Your Cookware — The FDA Just Recalled 6 More Pans That Contain Lead
Here’s what you need to know.
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Check your cabinets: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration just expanded its recall of several brands of imported cookware, initially announced in August. The affected products may leach high levels of lead into food cooked or stored in them.
Which products are being recalled?
In August, the FDA issued its original recall for Tiger White’s kadais (also called karahis), a type of deep, flat-bottomed cooking pot with two looped handles used in South Asian cuisines. Manufactured by Saraswati Strips Pvt. Ltd., the product is labeled “Pure Aluminum Utensils” (product number 2608606 AN ISO 9001:2015) and was sold at Mannan Supermarket in New York.
On September 12, the FDA expanded the recall to include three additional products: Silver Horse’s “Aluminium Mathar Kadai 26” (product number 7 6554273084 5) and “Aluminium Milk Pan 4” (product number 7 6554272863 7), both sold at Patel Brothers, and JK Vallabhdas’ “Aluminium Kadai India Bazaar #3” (product number 2000000772), which was sold at INDIACO.
On October 15, the FDA recalled six additional cookware products due to concerns that they may leach lead into food when used for cooking or food storage:
- Royal Kitchen Cookware Milk Pan - Size 3, distributed by New Reliance Traders, Inc., in Maspeth, New York and sold at Subzi Bazaar in Rochelle Park, New Jersey.
- 3-Quart Aluminum Saucepan Town Food Service Equipment Co., Inc., made in Pakistan, distributed by Win Chong Trading Corp. of Brooklyn, New York and sold at Best Kitchen Supply in Washington, D.C.
- 2-Quart Aluminum Saucepan Town Food Service Equipment Co., Inc., made in Pakistan, distributed by Win Chong Trading Corp. of Brooklyn, New York and sold at Best Kitchen Supply in Washington, D.C.
- Dolphin Brand Aluminum Saucepan, sold at Al Monsoon Video Inc. DBA Diya Handicrafts in Chicago, Illinois.
- Brass Pot sold at Santos Agency Inc. in San Leandro, California.
- Kadai/Karahi Aluminum Hammered Kadai Size 7, distributed by Indian Cookware & Appliance LLC of San Jose, California and sold at Indian Supermarket in Sacramento, California.
A table with more information about the recalled products can be found here.
“Potentially affected products are not limited to this list,” the FDA warns. “Additional products will be added to this alert as needed.”
Why was the recall issued?
Through testing, the FDA and its state partners found that these four products leach significant levels of lead into food, rendering it unsafe for consumption. The FDA is warning consumers and retailers not to use or sell these products.
“Young children, women of child-bearing age, and those who are breastfeeding may be at higher risk for potential adverse events after eating food cooked using these products,” the FDA cautions.
What’s the risk of using the recalled products?
Eating food contaminated with lead can lead to elevated levels of lead in your blood. This is especially dangerous to children and babies; lead exposure can result in damage to the brain and nervous system, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Higher levels of lead exposure — in both adults and children — can cause fatigue, headaches, abdominal pain, vomiting and neurological issues.
“Lead is toxic to humans and can affect people of any age or health status, and there is no known safe level of exposure to lead,” the FDA says. “Even low levels of lead exposure can cause serious health problems, particularly in children and fetuses.”
What should you do if you have one of the recalled products?
The FDA recommends that you check to see if you have any of the listed products. If you do, throw it away.
“Do not donate or refurbish this cookware,” the agency advises.
If you think you may have been exposed to lead — from these or other products — you are instructed to contact your health care provider.
Retailers and distributors who may still have the cookware in stock are advised to test all cookware for leachable lead, according to FDA protocol. They can contact premarkt@fda.hhs.gov with any questions about the recall or lead testing.
What else is the FDA doing about lead-leaching cookware?
The agency says it is “actively working” to remove lead-leaching cookware from the market.
“There are no FDA regulations that authorize lead for use as a color additive or food additive (including as a component of foodware, cookware, or food contact surfaces),” it says.
Additionally, the FDA notes that monitoring related to this recall is “ongoing” and says that, if necessary, it will update the alert to include additional products.
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