Chennai: Lead concentrations in turmeric powder sold in markets are due to contamination during post-harvest processing, handling, or deliberate adulteration, says a new study by Toxics Link. It gave a clean chit to the cultivation stage.Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) collected raw turmeric directly from farms across six Indian states, including Tamil Nadu, to check that lead in turmeric is well within the maximum permissible limit. The report, ‘Lead in Turmeric’, analysed 13 raw turmeric rhizome samples..All samples were tested at an NABL-accredited laboratory using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Lead concentrations ranged from below the limit of quantification (LOQ-0.05 mg/kg) to 1.87 mg/kg, significantly below the FSSAI limit of 10mg/kg for turmeric.The findings provide important evidence that naturally cultivated turmeric generally contains only background levels of lead. This reinforces growing scientific evidence that the high levels of lead detected in commercially available turmeric powder are more likely introduced during processing and marketing, particularly through adulteration with lead chromate to enhance colour and market value.Satish Sinha, associate director, Toxics Link, said: “Our findings indicate that turmeric cultivated on farms generally complies with existing food safety standards for lead. The evidence points towards contamination occurring after harvest, making it imperative to strengthen surveillance and regulatory oversight across processing, packaging, and marketing stages”
