Turmeric poisoned their kids. Four Seattle-area cases show gaps in lead testing

Alekhya Gali‘s turmeric came from a trusted store in Bangalore, South India.

“How you add salt, it’s how we add turmeric,” Gali said.

But the spice powder was filled with lead.

Three times more lead than environmental regulators allow in playground soil, in fact.

She had no idea, and the whole family ate it for years.

Kitchen spices are a growing concern when it comes to childhood lead poisoning. Lead exposure damages the brain and other organs, and can hinder a child’s development.

Turmeric has been identified as the source of lead poisoning in at least four Seattle-area families recently. Health professionals worry that many more cases haven’t been identified because of inadequate childhood lead testing in Washington state.