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Kosher Turmeric Spice Recalled Due to Lead

A New Jersey based company which distributes spices as kosher and under various brand names has expanded a recall of ‘Ground Turmeric’ after FDA sampling discovered elevated levels of lead.

Gel Spice Inc. of Bayonne, NJ, initially recalled its Fresh Finds branded ground turmeric the last week of July.

“Routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ food inspectors and subsequent more recalled tumericanalysis of the product by the New York State Food Laboratory revealed the elevated level of lead,” according to the company’s July 28 recall notice on the Food and Drug Administration’s website.

In its expanded recall notice, Gel Spice added six brands of ground turmeric.

“The products were distributed by various retailers throughout the United States,” according to the new notice. “Sampling and testing of another product, produced from the same bulk turmeric, revealed the elevated level of lead.”

The additional turmeric being recalled by Gel Spice Inc. can be identified by the label information in the table below.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled ground turmeric should discard the product, according to Gel Spice Inc. Consumers with questions about the recalled product may call 201-564-0435.

Lead can accumulate in the body over time. Too much can cause health problems, including delayed mental and physical development and learning deficiencies, Gel Spice warned in its recall notices. Pregnant women, infants and young children especially should avoid exposure to lead. People concerned about blood lead levels should contact their physician or health clinic to ask about testing.

The Fresh Finds brand ground turmeric powder recalled by Gel Spice Inc. is packaged in 3.75-ounce jars and has a UPC number of 81026-01230. The recalled product also has the codes of “B/B 03/08/19” or “B/B 05/18/19” on the neck of the jars. The recalled spice was distributed to Big Lots stores nationwide.

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21 Comments

  • And what about

    Some spice blends such as shawarma, curry etc. that contain turmeric in them?

  • Just Sayin'

    But we only buy the Yiddishe brands because they are more reliable for kashrus… what a scam. Wonder how many people have been using Heimishe pork in their chulent?

    • your off

      your way off, we all know that kashrus and health are not the same. you must be eating items w/o proper supervision.

    • To your off:

      My point wasn’t that Leiber’s has lead. They aren’t the one’s who issued a recall. The point is a company called Gel Spice Inc. makes a product that 5 different companies slap a label on. While this isn’t news in der velt, there are many people who buy heimishe brands who wouldn’t allow “Spice Supreme” in their house, and they pay a premium for it. All a scam.

    • WHAT DO YU THINK???

      plenty of products are made to contract and then given out under different labels, both kosher and non-kosher. Do you think Pathmark or target or other large supermarket brands all have their own seperate factories where they only make their own house brands???
      Please grow up.
      Heimish brands often rent, at great expense,otherwise rent, at great expense, factories (or parts of factories) for a long weekend(Fri-Sun or Mon) or for a week at a time, when those places have down time. Then they kasher the place and bring in kosher ingredients, mashgichim and sometimes production workers, which the usual run doesn’t use , let the area be sealed and unused for 24 hours, ie: over Shabbos, then finally on Sunday they can start producing for a day or up to a week, when they have to allow time to remove their products from the premises when the run is over. If the heimish brands want to make a product in a place that already has a national hescher they have to see if the standards match theirs, they still have to pay for the time, etc, which is no more a scam but takes more work, than supermarkets whose house brands who do the same thing.

    • To WHAT DO YU THINK???:

      Great to be dan l’kaf zchus. However… this is a kosher product, certified by the OU. Lieber’s isn’t taking it over and kashering it, because the OU’s standards are the same as theirs for these products. It wasn’t a separate batch. It was the same stuff, hence the recall for Lieber’s and not just the other brands.

      If you read what I wrote, this isn’t news in “der velt”. This is news when it comes to Heimishe brands, which people rely on for additional machmirus in kashrus. I, for one, grew up in a house where we would only use foods made by a yiddishe company on Pesach. I know many other people who lived like that all year. There are certain stores who will only carry Heimishe brands for similar reasons (not in CH).

    • could this be a heimish co.?

      could this actually be a heimishe co. that produces for big box chains?

  • CR

    Include that the Lieber’s lot included in the recall is the 2 oz container with a B/B date of 05/13/19 and UPC code 043427006361.

  • DeClasse' Intellectual

    As a QC and kosher supervisor, I can say no excuses.Failure in production and in chain of supply and supervision.
    They are other brands that are just as kosher and just as good or better and more reliable but not “heimische”
    Remember just because products are made by Yids does not mean it is any good or superior to anything else and Yiddishe manufactuers have been caught doing the no no as well

  • HMMM

    what about the local stores who get in bulk and pack it on their own. where is their origin? like empire kosher, market place…how do we find out?

  • Anonymous

    If you look in shulchan aruch yoreh Deoh siman 114 seif 12 you will see that the “rhasbo” never eat turmeric.
    הרשב”א היה נזהר מהכרכום מפני שבכל הארץ ההיא היו מזלפים עליו יין הרבה וגם מערבים בו חוטי בשר יבש

    • Milhouse

      In modern Hebrew turmeric is כורכום, not כרכום.

      כרכום, in Modern Hebrew, means any crocus, including saffron, and saffron itself is זעפרן.

      But none of that is relevant to the Rashba, who avoided saffron, not turmeric.

  • DeClasse' Intellectual

    #10) by law the store owner is to provide that information to the consumer if requested, especially in finished products–this the practice in most states
    #11) turmeric is an Indian origin herb and know for it uses in cooking and also as Indian saffron because of its cooking uses. Interest–maybe because if its origins and uses in India it not really mentioned in the biblical medical sources–same with saffron–but it is cited in SONG OF SONGS 4:14-15. the interesting part is that this herb with all its medical uses was “bypassed” although there is refrerences to arthritus and uses of a rub.

    • Milhouse

      As above, כרכום in Shir Hashirim means saffron, not turmeric. It was also one of the ingredients in the ketores, making up 1/23 of the mixture.

  • Anonymous

    Turmeric has been found to be a natural very powerful remedy to heal cancer. The web has many articles about it and the research that shows this to be true.