Trace Metals in Spices

Most people love spices of one kind or another, from the basic salt and pepper to cayenne, cinnamon, and other spices. Scientific studies since the 1970s have run experiments and tests to determine the amount of trace metals in various spices. The average amount of metal found in a spice can vary from spice to spice or location of where the spices are created.

Lead

• People concerned about metals in spices are especially concerned with lead (elemental symbol: Pb), which can be one of the most dangerous metals to the human system when too much is introduced. Many people are familiar with lead poisoning, especially from old unsafe paint, but the same can happen from too much lead getting into the blood. A report published in the "New York Science Journal" in 2009 tested lead amounts from spices in Pakistan, where many spices are produced, and found that many of the most common commercial spices contained an unhealthy level of lead contamination.

Chromium

• Chromium is a trace metal that, like many, are not harmful in small doses or trace amounts, but become dangerous when too much is put into the human body. Studies done on spices taken from open air markets in Pakistan suggest that the spices from these open-air markets are contaminated with too much chromium, which can result in unhealthy amounts when used on a daily basis.

Other Trace Metals

• While chromium and lead might get the most attention, many other trace metals exist in various spices. Testers make sure to test for copper, cobalt, and cadmium in addition to lead and chromium. copper, cobalt, and cadmium are also found in dangerous amounts far less often than the others. The amount of metals found in excess also vary based on location as Pakistan is not the only nation with a huge tradition of providing spices.