The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning about certain imported cookware that may leach lead into food. The affected products are kadai or karahi pans, deep pans similar to woks, manufactured by the Indian company Saraswati Strips.
The FDA tested the cookware and found that it leaches lead when used for cooking. The pans are made from aluminium, brass, and aluminium alloys known as Hindalium/Hindolium or Indalium/Indolium. The FDA does not authorise the use of lead in cookware and has advised retailers not to sell these pans and consumers not to use them.
Lead is toxic to people of any age, but young children, women of child-bearing age, and those who are breastfeeding may be at higher risk. Low-level lead exposure can cause learning difficulties, low IQ, and behavioural changes in children. Higher levels can lead to fatigue, headache, stomach pain, vomiting, and neurological changes.
The FDA advises consumers to throw away any affected cookware and not to donate or refurbish it. Those concerned about lead exposure should contact a healthcare provider. The administration is working to remove the cookware from the US market and has yet to identify the distributor to initiate a recall.
Saraswati Strips claims on its website that its cookware is made from 'finest quality aluminium' and is 'completely safe for cooking and storage purposes'. The pans have been sold at Mannan Supermarket in Queens, New York.
