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Lead in food - FAQs

Why has New Zealand Food Safety Authority recommended these recalls?

Routine monitoring of foods in the Total Diet Survey identified unacceptably high levels of lead in a baby custard. The custard was recalled and further investigations revealed that the source of the lead was cornflour. In all, three batches of cornflour have been found to contain lead at unacceptable levels. The cornflour milled late last year in New Zealand from one shipment of imported corn that is believed to have been contaminated during shipping. The cornflour has been sold as packaged cornflour and used as a minor ingredient in other products.

What action has been taken?

All products in which cornflour from the affected batches was used were identified and products with unacceptable levels of lead have been recalled.

What food products are involved?

• 100gm Robinsons Step Up Egg Custard (all batches). Consumer helpline 0800 957 007

• Pam’s Maize Cornflour 400 gm packets (Lot 3163, Best Before DEC 05; and Lot 3153, Best Before DEC 05) [South Island and Wellington region only]. Consumer helpline 0800 245 114

• Gilmours Maize Cornflour 5kg (Lot 3193) [South Island only and Wellington region only] Consumer helpline 0800 245 114

• Edmonds Fielder’s Cornflour 300g with Best Before Dates 30.09.05 and 01.10.05. Consumer advisory centre 0800 252 423

Why haven’t other products that contain the contaminated cornflour been recalled or named?

NZFSA’s assessment shows that, in all but the recalled products, lead levels would be within the acceptable limits for the foods concerned. NZFSA’s primary role is to protect consumers and in our assessment these foods pose no more threat to consumers than any other food, and it is therefore not necessary to identify or recall them.

While high levels of lead in food are unacceptable, it is important to remember that not all the cornflour in each batch would have been affected. In addition, the bulk of the product was used as an ingredient and as such makes up only a small proportion of the food in which it was used. This has the effect of ‘diluting’ the concentration of the lead to a level where it falls below the unacceptable level for the food, so it is not a health risk.

If I have eaten any of the recalled products will it pose a risk to my health?

For foods that have already been consumed, NZFSA’s assessments, and expert medical opinion, indicate that there is no significant health risk. This is because cornflour is generally used as an ingredient and the level of lead in the overall food would be below the maximum permitted level, and well below the acceptable daily intake. In the case of the Robinson’s custard, the potentially most exposed individuals would be children fed one or more daily servings, all from the affected batches, over a prolonged period. Because not all of the cornflour in each batch was contaminated, and because the affected product was not on the market for a prolonged period, this is considered unlikely.

The average New Zealander’s exposure to lead from food has been dramatically reduced over the last 20 years. Any additional exposure from consuming these foods, even in relatively large quantities, is highly unlikely to have any effect on your health. However, if you have any concerns at all you should consult your doctor.

It is important to remember that long term or lifetime exposure to high levels of lead are what lead to health problems. Dr Donald Campbell, Medical Officer of Health in Palmerston North, says while lead is cumulative, short exposures to relatively low levels do not pose an appreciable risk to health.

“Although lead may slowly build in the body during periods of exposure, levels drop again once that exposure ceases. This is the case here. The levels are lower than those of real concern in the environment, such as from lead paint and hobbies that involve lead, such as shot and solder.”

Are children more susceptible to lead exposure than adults?

Children are more sensitive to lead’s effects than adults. A child who swallows large amounts, for example eating pieces of old paint containing large amounts of lead (red orca is 40% lead and white oxide 60%) can develop anaemia or colic as a result of acute exposure. However, the trace amounts of lead found in foods below the maximum permissible levels do not pose a significant health risk.

If children have eaten a lot of the egg custard, are they at risk of health effects?

If consumption had occurred consistently over a prolonged period of time there would be concerns. As contamination was confined to a short time frame it is unlikely that children will have been consistently exposed to lead for long enough to affect health. If you have any concerns you should consult your doctor.

Are pregnant women or unborn children at greater risk from exposure to lead in the recalled products?

While it is not possible to be definite, it is unlikely that unborn children are at risk because the levels of cornflour used in adult foods are relatively small, and the exposure in this instance was short when compared to the exposure periods that have caused minor but measurable effects in humans.

Mothers are unlikely to be at increased risk as their exposures are less than the acceptable intakes established by the World Health Organisation, as are any others who may have eaten the recalled products.

Is lead normally found in our food?

Yes. Since lead is present in the environment, from both natural and man-made sources, a low level of lead is present in many food products. (See our Total Diet Survey for further information). Lead is a naturally occurring metal found in small amounts in the Earth’s crust. However most of the lead found throughout the environment comes from human activities.

The last completed New Zealand Total Diet Survey, published in February 2000 by the Ministry of Health, compares dietary lead exposure in young males over the last four surveys. This shows that between 1982 and 1997/98, dietary lead exposure has decreased by more than 95%. In 1982 the exposure was 26 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per week, by 1997/98 the exposure was 1.2 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per week.

The two main contributing factors to lowering dietary lead exposure were the elimination of use of lead solder in canned foods and the reduction and then elimination of lead in petrol.

This incident of lead in cornflour has highlighted once again the fact that regulatory limits for contaminants in foods are not set on the basis of health risk but on the basis of ensuring the best practice for the production of foods. While these foods have unacceptably high levels of lead in them (and hence their use can be regarded as not best practice) and are therefore subject to recall, they pose no immediate health risk.

Hasn’t recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine shown that any level of lead is dangerous?

A recent article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (April 17, 2003) refers to long term exposures, and confirms existing research indicating that there is no established 'no effect level' for lead in animals or humans. If it were possible, the best thing for all would be to minimise exposure to all lead from foods. Its ubiquitous nature precludes complete elimination of lead from foods and so we (along with other regulatory agencies) adopt measures that do not allow exposures other than those which cannot be controlled by humans (i.e. do not allow increased levels of lead in foods resulting from direct human activity), and ensure that dietary intake levels do not exceed those considered acceptable by authoritative international experts.

How else can I be exposed to lead?

Lead is ubiquitous in the world environment. In New Zealand, the major sources of lead in the environment have been from the use of leaded motor vehicle fuels and lead-based paints. In addition lead solder in canned foods contributed directly into the diet. The lead has been removed from fuels from 1 October 1996, restricted in late 1993 in paints, and lead use restricted in canned foods in the early 1980s.

The most common source of lead contamination from human activities is likely to be from lead-based paints but exposure can occur from a number of sources:

• Eating foods or drinking water that contain lead

• Spending time in areas where lead-based paints have been used and are deteriorating or being worked on

• Having hobbies in which lead may be used; such as soldering or shooting

• Using ceramic ware that has a lead glaze.

What is the maximum permissible level of lead in food?

There are two types of limits – the regulatory limit set to ensure that best practice in manufacturing or production is used and, in the case of contaminants such as lead and other heavy metals, a Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) indicating the level up to which humans can be exposed on an ongoing basis without unacceptable risk of health impacts.

The PTWI for lead is set under the auspices of the United Nations by JECFA (Food and Agriculture Organization / World Health Organization Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives). The level is ‘provisional’ because it is subject to review when any new information comes to hand. The most recent evaluation was undertaken in 1999 which re-confirmed the PTWI for lead as 0.025 milligram per kilogram of body weight per week. This level was originally set in 1982 for infants and children, based on specific data from studies on children. In 1993 the adult level was withdrawn and the infants and children’s level extended to all age groups.

Trend in estimated dietary exposure to lead for young male over NZTDSs

It is important to remember that regulatory limits for contaminants in foods are not set on the basis of health risk, but on the basis of ensuring best practice in the production of foods.

There is a large in built safety factor between regulatory levels and acceptable intake levels.

Regulatory limits for contaminants in foods, such as lead, are often set at different levels depending on the food. The regulatory limits applicable in New Zealand are set out in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Standard 1.4.1 (Contaminants and Natural Toxicants). The standard gives the maximum levels in milligram per kilogram and for lead they are:

Brassicas 0.3 (= 300 micrograms/kg)

Cerals, Pulses and Legumes 0.2 (= 200 micrograms/kg)

Edible offal of cattle, sheep, pig and poultry 0.5 (= 500micrograms/kg)

Fish 0.5 (= 500 micrograms/kg)

Fruit 0.1 (=100 micrograms/kg)

Infant formulae 0.02 (=20 micrograms/kg)

Meat (other than offal) 0.1 (=100 micrograms/kg)

Molluscs 2 (= 2000 micrograms/kg)

Vegetables (except brassicas) 0.1 (= 100 micrograms/kg)

In the case of mixed foods, Standard 1.4.1 gives a formula for calculating the proportion of the metal contaminant permitted to be present.

How do levels of lead in New Zealand food compare with other countries?

New Zealand compares favourably with other western countries with regard to dietary lead exposure. The 1997/98 New Zealand Total Diet Survey compared the New Zealand level of 1.2 (micrograms per kilogram of body weight per week in males 19-24 years) with several other countries. Australia was 3.0, USA 0.4, UK 2.8, Japan 9.8, Czech Republic 2.4 and Basque Country 2.9. Since the publication of the 1997/98 NZTDS, Australia has published the results of a further total diet survey and found between 0.06 and 0.4 for adult males. France published the results of their first total diet survey in 2004 and found levels of 18.4 for adult males.

Comparison of estimated weekly dietary exposure (μg/kg bw/week) to lead for a young male in the 1997/98 NZTDS with overseas total diet studies

Element	PTWI	NZTDS 1997/98	Australia	USA	UK	Japan	Czech	Basque
	µg/kg-bw/wk	YM 70 kg 19-24 yrs	Male 75kg 25-34 yrs	Male 75kg 25-30 yrs	Male 60 kg	Male 50 kg	Av. person 64 kg	Adult 68kg 25-60 yrs
Lead	25	1.2 2	3.0 a2	0.4 b1	2.8 c3	9.8 d4	2.4 e2	2.9 f3

a 1996 data (Hardy, 1998) c 1997 data (MAFF, 1999c) e 1997 data (Ruprich, 1998)

b 1990-91 data (Bolger et al, 1996) d 1988 data (FAO/UNEP/WHO, 1992) f 1992-95 data (Jalon et al, 1997)

1 Using zero values for ‘not detected’ data 3 Using limit of detection for ‘not detected’ data

2 Using half limit of detection /quantitation for ‘not detected’ data 4 Protocol for ‘not detected’ data not known