USFDA warns against the use of cookware by this Indian company

When it comes to cooking, cookware plays a key role in making or breaking the nutritional value of the dish. The material or metal they are made with often releases chemicals that can either boost the nutritional profile of the dish or leak in some chemicals that can cause life-threatening diseases.

According to the latest report, the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has issued a warning against using cookware manufactured by Indian company, Saraswati Strips Pvt. Ltd., after tests showed the products could leach dangerous levels of lead into food.

According to the US health regulator , the products in question are being sold under the brand name Tiger White and marketed as 'pure aluminium utensils'. The agency said tests revealed that cookware made from aluminium, brass and aluminium alloys released lead when used for cooking.

The report also says that some types of imported cookware products made from aluminium, brass, and aluminium alloys known as Hindalium/Hindolium or Indalium/Indolium have been tested by FDA and state partners, and found to leach lead into food when used for cooking, thereby making food unsafe.

Keeping the harm the cookware can cause, the US agency stated, “Retailers should discontinue sale and consumers should not use this product as cookware or food storage.”


Take a look at the details of the items under scrutiny as listed by USFDA

Brand and product name: Pure Aluminium Utensils, Tiger White

Trademark number: RTM No. 2608606

Certification claim: ISO 9001:2015 certified company

Manufacturer: Saraswati Strips Pvt. Ltd., India

What does the study say?
According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, lead exposure from contaminated cookware poses severe health risks, particularly affecting neurological development in children, leading to learning and cognitive impairments. In adults, it can result in hypertension, kidney damage, and reproductive toxicity. The study has highlighted that besides lead, toxic metals such as cadmium are also used in such cookware adding to potential health risks. The study found that many aluminum cookware products contained in excess of 100 parts per million (ppm) of lead. Many also leached enough lead under simulated cooking and storage conditions to exceed recommended dietary limits.


What happens when you consume lead
The agency has mentioned that lead is toxic to humans and can affect people of all age groups and there is no known safe level of exposure to lead. Consuming food with elevated lead levels can contribute to elevated levels of lead in the blood. Even low levels of lead exposure can cause serious health problems, particularly in children and foetuses, states the agency. At low levels, children may not have obvious symptoms but can still experience trouble learning, low IQ, and behavior changes. At higher levels of lead exposure, people may experience fatigue, headache, stomach pain, vomiting or neurologic changes.


What is the USFDA advice
According to USFDA, consumers should check if they have any of the cookware listed above at home and throw it away. They should avoid donating or refurbishing it as well. Also , consumers who have concerns about lead exposure or elevated levels of lead should contact their health care provider.

And for retailers and distributors, the agency suggests that they should seek USFDA guidance about the safety of any cookware they market.

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