# 85% of kids' drinks and snacks tested have lead in them. Tell me why I shouldn't be freaking out. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 15, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312 "2010-06-15T17:00:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/1 "2010-06-15T17:00:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Quantities of lead in bottled juice, juice boxes, and packaged fruit could exceed federal limits for the lunchbox-toting set, according to the Environmental Law Foundation. The Bay Area-based environmental nonprofit, which enlisted the aid of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-certified lab in Berkeley, tested nearly 400 samples from 150 branded products marketed to children, including apple juice, grape juice, packaged pears and peaches (including baby food), and fruit cocktail mixes. The alarming results: 125 out of 146 products—or more than 85%—contained enough lead in a single serving to warrant a warning label under California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, better known as Prop. 65. > **[Inhabitat | Design For a Better World!](https://inhabitat.com/)** > > Inhabitat is a website dedicated to green design, innovation, and the future of clean technology, cataloging great ideas and emerging technologies which will change our world for the better. Is Prop 65 ridiculously strict? Is there some reason to doubt this testing lab? Considering that these products are marketed to and disproportionately consumed by small children, there isn’t \*any \*safe level of lead for them to consume, is there? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/2 "2010-06-15T17:56:03Z")
Considering that this is California, the requirements are probably for “any detectable amount”, or something similarly absurd. When you look with precise enough measurements, everything contains traces of everything in it. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/3 "2010-06-15T18:01:22Z")
I hope the OP doesn’t look up lead content in chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/4 "2010-06-15T18:02:07Z")
According to the [Environmental Law Foundation](http://www.envirolaw.org/currentcases.html) who did the study, the limit is 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving. ([This PDF document](http://www.envirolaw.org/documents/ProductsTestedforLeadFINAL.pdf) has a list of products that they found at least one sample that tested positive.) ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/5 "2010-06-15T18:06:30Z")
I managed to find [this PDF](http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/pdf/2009FebruaryStat.pdf) which has some amounts listed for CA Prop 65, though I’m having trouble figuring it out. It has two tables…one is the “No Significant Risk Level (NSRL) adopted in regulation of carcinogens” and the other is “Maximum allowable dose level (MADL) adopted in regulation for chemicals causing reproductive toxicity.” So the first amount for Lead (NSRL) is 15 micrograms per day (just straight lead, not any of the other lead compounds.) So anything at that level or less isn’t considered a risk for cancer? The other level for lead, (MADL) is only 0.5 micro grams per day…so I guess it takes a lot less lead to cause reproductive effects. But how do you measure a “daily dose” from one sample of juice/fruit? Is it assumed so many cups of juice/pieces of fruit per day? Perhaps they are assuming all fruit servings are coming from these ones? So I guess we might be able to guess the fruit and/or juice has anywhere from 0.5 to 15 micrograms? Or less if they are “adding them up” to get a whole day’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Time\_Stranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Time\_Stranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Stranger)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/6 "2010-06-15T18:07:28Z")
How does lead get into these food products (and other products such as make-up that have been said to have high-lead content)? Is it residuals from machine processing or what? Do apples (or whatever) themselves just contain lead naturally? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/7 "2010-06-15T18:14:40Z")
Hmm… according to [this OSHA page](http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10641), the maximum allowable concentration of lead _in air_ for a workplace is 50 micrograms per cubic meter. That’s 0.2 micrograms per gallon of air. I’m not sure if it’s meaningful to compare these, but it seems very strict to require that a serving of food has less lead in it than 2.5 gallons of air from a marginally contaminated workplace. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/8 "2010-06-15T18:43:31Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > I hope the OP doesn’t look up lead content in chocolate. Well, I did _now_! 😉 And yes, there was a lawsuit in 2002, also for violating this same California law because of lead in chocolate. [http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/food-stores/4247205-1.html](http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/food-stores/4247205-1.html) At that time, at least, the FDA said the level of lead in chocolate did not pose a health risk. Do you know if that level is greater, less than or the same in fruit juice and fruit cups? > [@scr4](#): > > According to the [Environmental Law Foundation](http://www.envirolaw.org/currentcases.html) who did the study, the limit is 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving. ([This PDF document](http://www.envirolaw.org/documents/ProductsTestedforLeadFINAL.pdf) has a list of products that they found at least one sample that tested positive.) According to [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate#Lead), the level of lead in chocolate is 0.0010 to 0.0965 µg lead per gram of chocolate, so it sounds like chocolate in moderation is okay, probably. Doesn’t address the lead in fruit products. > [@bouv](#): > > But how do you measure a “daily dose” from one sample of juice/fruit? Is it assumed so many cups of juice/pieces of fruit per day? Perhaps they are assuming all fruit servings are coming from these ones? > > So I guess we might be able to guess the fruit and/or juice has anywhere from 0.5 to 15 micrograms? Or less if they are “adding them up” to get a whole day’s worth. Thanks, **bouv**! At least this gives me some numbers to go on, once I can find some better numbers from this study. If a single fruit cup has 0.25 (number derived rectally)micrograms per fruit cup, I know to stop my daughter at one cup per day (which, realistically speaking, is more than she eats on a regular basis anyhow - she consumes most of her fruit as fruit. But I still do use canned fruit or fruit cups for convenience and variety, and fruit juice boxes for special treats during travel and camping.) > [@Time\_Stranger](#): > > How does lead get into these food products (and other products such as make-up that have been said to have high-lead content)? Is it residuals from machine processing or what? Do apples (or whatever) themselves just contain lead naturally? Don’t know. I did find [this claim from a food manufacturer](http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/01/18/why-is-there-lead-in-my-balsamic-vinegar/): > [@](#): > > All balsamic and red wine vinegars contain naturally occurring lead. **Lead is naturally absorbed by all things that grow in the ground** , including the grapes used to make vinegar. Most balsamic and red wine vinegars have lead levels equal to or less than 34 parts per million. An average person would need to consume 1 to 2 cups of balsamic or red wine vinegar per day to reach the Proposition 65 lead level minimum threshold, which includes a 1000-fold safety margin. (bolding mine) So, yes, now I want to know if these products have more or less lead than the fruit as it occurs in nature. Or, more precisely, in my grocery store. > [@scr4](#): > > I’m not sure if it’s meaningful to compare these, but it seems very strict to require that a serving of food has less lead in it than 2.5 gallons of air from a marginally contaminated workplace. I think the biggest problem in comparing them is that I don’t know if lead is absorbed through the respiratory tract the same way it is through the digestive tract, and children aren’t generally spending much time in workplaces. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/9 "2010-06-15T18:44:13Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > I managed to find [this PDF](http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/pdf/2009FebruaryStat.pdf) which has some amounts listed for CA Prop 65, though I’m having trouble figuring it out. > > It has two tables…one is the “No Significant Risk Level (NSRL) adopted in regulation of carcinogens” and the other is “Maximum allowable dose level (MADL) adopted in regulation for chemicals causing reproductive toxicity.” > > So the first amount for Lead (NSRL) is 15 micrograms per day (just straight lead, not any of the other lead compounds.) So anything at that level or less isn’t considered a risk for cancer? > > The other level for lead, (MADL) is only 0.5 micro grams per day…so I guess it takes a lot less lead to cause reproductive effects. > > But how do you measure a “daily dose” from one sample of juice/fruit? Is it assumed so many cups of juice/pieces of fruit per day? Perhaps they are assuming all fruit servings are coming from these ones? > > So I guess we might be able to guess the fruit and/or juice has anywhere from 0.5 to 15 micrograms? Or less if they are “adding them up” to get a whole day’s worth. Last I checked, lead poisoning is not cancer, so the two tables quoted are apples and floor tiles. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/10 "2010-06-15T18:57:25Z")
Oh, and to the OP – Of course you should be “freaking out.” The best thing you can do is limit the amount of processed shit your kids have access to. If they don’t develop a taste for that crap early, they may never. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/11 "2010-06-15T19:05:08Z")
> [@Time\_Stranger](#): > > How does lead get into these food products (and other products such as make-up that have been said to have high-lead content)? Is it residuals from machine processing or what? Do apples (or whatever) themselves just contain lead naturally? At one time, [widespread use of leaded gasoline](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetra-ethyl_lead#Toxicity) dispersed lead into the atmosphere, soil, and environment. Perhaps that is the source of lead contamination in food products? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/12 "2010-06-15T19:25:00Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Of course you should be “freaking out.” The best thing you can do is limit the amount of processed shit your kids have access to. Is there any evidence that processed food (however you define it) have higher concentration of lead than unprocessed food? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/13 "2010-06-15T19:32:22Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Is there any evidence that processed food (however you define it) have higher concentration of lead than unprocessed food? Good question. At least in a first world country, I have a hard time imagining how food being processed is exposed to significant levels of lead in the processing. Other stuff that leaches from the plastics, metals, paints, cans, and stuff in the water yeah. Lead? not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/14 "2010-06-15T19:39:11Z")
Yeah, but how much of our processed food comes from China? I know tilapia is farmed in the US, sent to China for packaging, then sent back here to be sold. Today I saw a package of peeled garlic that said “product of china” on it. I don’t have kids, but when I do they’ll be getting very, very little processed “food.” ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/15 "2010-06-15T19:48:53Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > The best thing you can do is limit the amount of processed shit your kids have access to. Absolutely, and I do. I’m a big fan of Food Revolution. 😉 As I said, most of her fruit comes from fruit. But I’d also be happier to see a fruit cup (bonus points for pear juice instead of sugar syrup) in her school cafeteria than a bag of cookies…or so I thought until I saw this. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/16 "2010-06-15T19:52:18Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Oh, and to the OP – > > Of course you should be “freaking out.” The best thing you can do is limit the amount of processed shit your kids have access to. If they don’t develop a taste for that crap early, they may never. You mean processed shit and crap like [this stuff](http://www.zoo.org/zoo-doo)? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/17 "2010-06-15T20:07:57Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Is Prop 65 ridiculously strict? As someone who moved to California at age 23, I can tell you I got to the point where I totally ignored Prop 65 warning signs within a few months of having moved there. They are everywhere in California. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/18 "2010-06-15T20:25:29Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > At least in a first world country, I have a hard time imagining how food being processed is exposed to significant levels of lead in the processing. Other stuff that leaches from the plastics, metals, paints, cans, and stuff in the water yeah. Lead? not so much. There are a lot of things that happen during processing that can increase the amount of harmful stuff in it. Particularly when you consider that processed foods often include concentrates and extracts. If the process also concentrates and extracts contaminants, then your food might wind up with more than you’d ever get from the natural product. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/19 "2010-06-15T20:33:39Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > There are a lot of things that happen during processing that can increase the amount of harmful stuff in it. Particularly when you consider that processed foods often include concentrates and extracts. If the process also concentrates and extracts contaminants, then your food might wind up with more than you’d ever get from the natural product. Fair enough, but I said exposed you’ll note. The lead would still be there naturally in the food in the first place. Now, if it **preferentially** concentrates or extracts the lead as you note that could be a problem. But, then again, it seems to me concentrates and extracts are usually added to foodstuffs in small amounts because they are pretty strong. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312/20 "2010-06-15T20:53:21Z")
> [@](#): > > (bonus points for pear juice instead of sugar syrup) I don’t follow… Pear juice _is_ sugar syrup. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/85-of-kids-drinks-and-snacks-tested-have-lead-in-them-tell-me-why-i-shouldnt-be-freaking-out/543312.md?page=2)