SACRAMENTO - State Public Health Officer Dr. Richard Joseph Jackson warned today that lead has been found in four seasonings imported from Mexico: Lucas Limon, Lucas Acidito, Super Lucas and Super Jovy Chili Powder.

Lead from food and other environmental sources accumulate in the body. Elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, but even relatively low levels can cause learning disabilities and behavioral problems in children, Jackson said.

Testing by the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) found that the products contained levels of lead that exceed the federal and state regulatory standard of 0.5 parts per million (ppm) for candy. There is no regulatory health standard for lead levels in seasonings.

CDHS, which detected the lead in the products during random testing of 172 samples of candies, gums and candy ingredients/seasonings, has shared its findings with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will be working with the manufacturers and FDA to reduce the level of lead in these products. The results are on CDHS' Web site at http://www.dhs.ca.gov/fdb/

The lead analysis results of the four individual brands of seasonings are:

• Lucas Limon - 0.039 ppm, 0.16 ppm, 0.48 ppm, 0.53 ppm, 0.56 ppm, and 1.1 ppm lead.

• Lucas Acidito - 0.23 ppm, 0.36 ppm, 0.50 ppm, and 0.56 ppm lead.

• Super Lucas - 0.13 ppm, 0.39 ppm, 0.58 ppm, and 0.93 ppm lead.

• Super Jovy Chili Powder - 0.47 ppm, and 0.63 ppm lead.

Lucas Limon is packaged in a 0.87-ounce cylindrical container with a green label, with a prominently displayed logo of a goose head wearing glasses on top of a yellow circle. Lucas Acidito is packaged in a 1.5-ounce cylindrical container with a yellow label, with a prominently displayed logo of a goose head wearing glasses on top of a purple circle. Super Lucas is packaged in a 1.2- ounce cylindrical container with a red label, with a prominently displayed logo of a goose head wearing glasses on top of a yellow circle. Super Jovy Chili Powder is packaged in a 1.2-ounce cylindrical container with a red label and red cap. These products can be found in small markets and flea markets throughout California.

Pregnant women and the parents of children who may have consumed any of these products and are concerned about their exposure to lead should consult with their physician or health care provider about the need for a blood lead test.

For more information about lead poisoning, parents and caretakers should contact their local childhood lead poisoning prevention program or local public health department. Additional information and a list of local childhood lead prevention programs are available at DHS' Web site at http://www.dhs.ca.gov/childlead. The California Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch can also be reached at (510) 622-5000 for a list of these programs.

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