Spices such as turmeric and cinnamon: lead

Levels measured in Japanese government surveys and studies

Because no Japanese public survey values were found, a table of measured values is not included. Cases from abroad are written, with sources, under “Things worth knowing” below (they are not values for spices sold in Japan).

Limits (Japan, international, EU)

Good to know

• In this survey, no Japanese public survey values for lead in spices sold in Japan were found, nor any published data on lead in turmeric from Japanese import inspections. Google’s search suggestions include queries such as “cinnamon lead Japan” and “turmeric lead Japan” (Japanese-language queries; they show completions that people often type, not search volume).
• One cause of high lead is contamination with the pigment “lead chromate,” used to produce a bright yellow color. In a survey in Bangladesh (Forsyth et al., 2019; 152 people interviewed, 524 samples), there was evidence of contamination in 7 of the 9 main areas of origin, lead in turmeric powder was up to 1,152 μg/g (690 in the main nine areas), and 2–10% of the pigment’s weight was lead.
• Of 356 turmeric samples from 23 cities in four South Asian countries (180 roots and 176 powders, December 2020 to March 2021), 14% (51 samples) exceeded 2 μg/g, and in Patna (India), Karachi, and Peshawar (Pakistan) they exceeded 1,000 μg/g (Forsyth et al., 2024). Lead and chromium were roughly 1:1, and samples with 18 μg/g or more of lead are suspected of contamination.
• There are also examples of improvement through countermeasures. In Bangladesh, through media coverage, awareness campaigns, enforcement by the food safety authority, and the introduction of rapid lead-detection devices (2017–2021), the share of market turmeric with detectable lead fell from 47% (2019) to 0% (2021) (n=631; Forsyth et al., 2023).
• In 1,496 spice samples from 41 countries tested by the New York City health department in 2008–2017, lead was detected in more than 50%, and more than 30% exceeded 2 ppm (a descriptive survey). By country of purchase, the highest were Georgia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Morocco (Hore et al., 2019).
• In the US in 2023–24, lead poisoning was reported from cinnamon-containing applesauce. The CDC confirmed 566 cases from 44 states and others (blood lead 3.5 μg/dL or higher, 55% under 2 years old). The applesauce (WanaBana) samples analyzed by the FDA had lead at 2.18 ppm (confirmed from a search summary), the source of the lead was cinnamon, and chromium was later also detected, suggesting contamination with lead chromate.
• These are cases from abroad. Lead in the Japanese diet as a whole has fallen greatly (about 100 μg/day in 1978 to about 4 μg/day in 2024), and no value showing the contribution of spices in Japanese public material was found.

Related explainers

• Lead: Tap Water, Tableware, Cans, and Spices. Where Should You Be Careful? Lead in Food, and Entry Points Other Than Food
• Why Do Heavy Metal Standards Differ Between Japan and Other Countries? Japanese, Codex, and EU Standards and Tolerable Intakes Compared

Pages for each metal

• Lead

Sources

• Forsyth JE et al. Environ Res 2019 (turmeric and lead chromate in Bangladesh)（PMID 31550596）
• Forsyth JE et al. Sci Total Environ 2024 (turmeric in four South Asian countries)（PMID 39053552）
• Forsyth JE et al. Environ Res 2023 (enforcement and awareness reduced lead in turmeric)（PMID 37286126）
• Hore P et al. 2019 (lead in spices in New York City lead poisoning investigations)（PMID 30507772）
• CDC MMWR 2025 (lead and chromium in cinnamon-containing applesauce)（PMID 40273027）
• EU Regulation 2023/915 (maximum levels for contaminants in food)
• MHLW research grant, Total Diet Study, fiscal 2024, sub-study report

Last checked 2026.10.03 (against the original government documents and papers, collected and cross-checked in Gemini Notebook).

Also in “Other”

• Chocolate and cocoa
• Canned fruit
• Tap water and mineral water
• Meat