Ground Tumeric sold at Target Stores recalled because of lead content.

[dixiegrrrrl]

edited to add:

I know folks do buy stuff from Target, maybe keep this kicked so more peeps can be aware of the recall?


April 15, 2011 - B&M, Inc. of Mount Vernon, Missouri is voluntarily recalling Archer Farms Ground Turmeric sold at Target stores in glass bottles with a net weight of 2.6 oz. (74g), due to elevated levels of lead.

This voluntary recall is a result of notification from B&M, Incorporated’s supplier that the Ground Turmeric they provided contained excessive levels of lead.

The Archer Farms Ground Turmeric was distributed nationwide to Target retail stores located in the following states from June, 2009, to February, 2010: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, and WI.

The product is identified at the retail store level as Archer Farms Ground Turmeric, UPC 0-85239-02612-0. The lot numbers included in this recall are 1740901A, Best By 6/23/2011; 2180902A, Best By 8/6/11; 2780906A, Best By 10/5/2011; 2920903A, Best By 10/19/11; 3060903A, Best By 11/2/2011; 0071003A, Best By1/7/2012. The lot numbers and Best By dates can be found on the bottom of the bottle.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm251639.htm

I would love to know where the tumeric came from....anyone guessing China???

[Pharaoh]

1. just about everything in Target is from China n/t

[hlthe2b]

Yes... sadly they're no better than Walmart on that score...

and given recent political contributions lately, I'm not sure they're that much better on any score. :shrug: (the stores are generally more pleasant, however)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

2. do they even grow turmeric in china?

[onehandle]

3. Possibly processed in China and thus the lead, but India is the primary producer.

Curcuma longa and related species grow naturally throughout high-rainfall areas of South and Southeast Asia and Asia. India is the world's largest producer of turmeric.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5197083_turmeric-come-from_.html

[girl gone mad]

4. k & r

[pschoeb]

5. The problem is with India, and B&M not checking for this well known issue

Much of India's turmeric powder is adulterated with lead, it needs to always be verified, also it's best to import whole turmeric rhizome.



http://www.lead.org.au/lanv10n2/lanv10n2-21.html

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. A great link...I thank you!!!

Had no idea the contamination was THIS widespread.
Now I have to add tumeric to my list of "organic only" items.
The site is helpful.

I do not think the human species can survive any more unregulated globalization, do you?

[pschoeb]

10. You have to be carefull with organic as well, B&M is a organic spice provider

This might be why they had the problem, relying on their Indian vendors claim of organic certification, which is no substitute for testing.

I get my Turmeric rhizomes fresh, their flavor is different when they're fresh, and is useful in some dishes, then I freeze some, and dry the rest to grind into powder.

The lead adulterants are used to make faded powder look bright and fresh, so can't be used on the whole rhizomes.

[RagAss]

7. Lead ?....it's obvious these folks are trying to kill us or make us stupider than we already are !

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. But..but...you can shear a sheep many times, you can only skin them once.

I guess tho, if that lesson were understood, there would be no need for the fable of the Golden Goose.

[Courtesy Flush]

9. But don't be turned off to turmeric from other sources.

Don't let this recall scare you away from using turmeric. It's an excellent cancer fighter.