Bengaluru: It’s not just Maggi that has high lead content but our daily-use consumables, be it turmeric and vermillion or cosmetics such as kajal and lipstick (both branded and unbranded), can contain high lead content.
NRCLPI Director Thuppil Venkatesh addressing the press on Monday said that powdered spices, both packaged and sold loose, cosmetics (branded and unbranded), rice from various sources, vegetables, paints and toys, soil and dust and plumbing material from various manufacturers that were tested at the centre have been found to have lead above permissible levels.
“At present, we are using internationally accepted data to detect lead content as we do not have national standards for some material for its lead content,” he said.
The National Referral Centre for Lead Projects in India (NRCLPI), at St. John’s Medical College, has been analysing various consumables for lead content. It has found samples of both branded and unbranded items to have lead above permissible limits.
On Monday, NRCLPI staff tested samples of turmeric and vermillion using a handheld X-ray fluorescence machine in the presence of the media. The test revealed that one sq.cm. of a 50-gm packet of vermillion had around 503 ppm lead (parts per million) and an equal portion of turmeric had around 447 ppm lead. The lead content should be nil in these items, they said.
