Recall Alerts: Water Hose, Mini Fridge, Ice Cream, Kids Play Kitchen
Check out our food and product recalls you should know about including water hoses, mini fridges, ice cream, kids play kitchens and more.
Fox-26 Houston
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has identified cooking utensils that could leach lead into your food, said in an expanded warning updated September 12th.
The FDA released its initial notice on August 13 after testing pots made by Indian manufacturers and discovering that they were made from hindarium/hindrium or metal alloys made of indarium/indorium, aluminum, aluminum alloys and brass. These substances are common in certain imported cooking utensils and are not used in the United States, according to the FDA.
Since then, two more manufacturers/distributors and three more products have been added to the list.
There is no known lead exposure that is considered safe. Some have warned agencies, including young children, people of childbirth age and those who are breastfeeding.
Here’s what you need to know.
Which cooking utensils are included in the warning?
The FDA initially identified issues with products from one manufacturer, an Indian aluminum cookware called Saraswati Strips Pvt. Ltd. We sell products under the brand name Tiger White. Since then, two more manufacturers and/or distributors have been added to the list, including the Indian company Goyal Group Inc., and are being sold under the Silver Horse brand name, Grain Market LLC.
- Tiger White Brand Kadais/Karahis, or deep pots used for boiling or deep frying. The FDA tested two specific items at Mannan supermarket in Jamaica, New York, and labeled them “Pure Aluminum Atnsils Tiger White RTM No: 2608606 An ISO 9001: 2015 Certified Co. Saraswati StripsPvt. Ltd. India.”
- Silver Horse Brand “Aluminum Mathar Kadai 26” ID number 765542730845.
- Silver hose brand “Aluminum Milk Pan 4”, ID number 765542728637.
- JK Valalabhdas brand “Aluminum Kadai India Bazaar #3”, ID number 20000000777. The FDA tethered its products at India Cost A in Hoffman Estate, Illinois.
The FDA warns that these are not the only potentially affected products and that more can be added as the investigation continues.
What if I have an affected product?
Consumers should check and throw away the listed products and similar cooking utensils at home. You should not attempt to renovate or repair your cooking utensils.
If you have a potential lead exposure, we recommend contacting the FDA with your health care provider.
Retailers and distributors are responsible for ensuring the safety of the cookware they sell, the FDA said. This means that any product that may have an affected product in the market should use FDA’s Readreach Testing Protocol for cooking utensils or alternative testing methods. It is also encouraged to consult with the FDA about the updated safety and regulatory status of food-related products.
FDA questions related to this topic can be submitted to premarkt@fda.hhs.gov.
What is the risk of lead exposure?
The FDA does not permit the use of lead in food-related products, including cooking utensils and other food-contacting surfaces.
Lead is toxic to humans and can be ingested when a product like a cookware leaches into the items that come into contact with it. Even low levels of exposure are associated with serious health issues, including fatigue, headache, stomach pain, vomiting and neurological changes, according to the FDA.
Exposure is particularly dangerous to fetal and child development and can lead to difficulties in learning, low IQ and behavioral changes. Even if you do not show obvious symptoms, babies and children can be permanently affected by increased levels of lead in the blood, especially due to their small size and metabolism.
