Since turmeric is a health food as well as a medicine, it’s essential to buy the high-quality stuff.
Low-quality spices aren’t just laden with pesticides: they can also contain traces of dirt, insects, and heavy metals.
In August 2016 alone, the FDA had to recall 377,000 pounds of commercial turmeric and turmeric-based products for potential lead contamination (1).
These products were mainly produced by Oriental Packing Co. of Miami, Florida, and were sold at Walmart, Amazon.com, and Target. Gel Spice Inc. of Bayonne, New Jersey, was also affected by the recall.
The complete list of products includes (2):
Blue Mountain:
- Blue Mountain Country Mild Curry Powder
- Blue Mountain Country Hot Curry Powder
- Blue Mountain Country Hot Jamaican Jerk Curry Seasoning
Jamaica Choice:
- Jamaica Choice Mild
- Jamaica Hot Curry Powder
Ocho Rios:
- Ocho Rios Jamaican Nice Mild Curry Powder
- Ocho Rios Spicy Curry Powder
- Ocho Rios Jerk Curry Seasoning Mild
- Ocho Rios Jerk Curry Seasoning Spicy
Oriental:
- Oriental Mild Curry Powder
- Oriental Hot Curry Powder
Grace:
- Grace Mild Curry Powder
- Grace Hot Curry Powder
- Grace Caribbean Curry Powder
- Grace Caribbean Tradition Hot Curry Powder
Lieber’s:
- 2 Ounce Bottle Turmeric
Gel:
- 15 Ounce Bottle Turmeric
Clear Value:
- 0.75 Ounce Bottle Turmeric
Spice Supreme:
- 2 Ounce Bottle Turmeric
Market Pantry:
- 0.95 Ounce Bottle Turmeric
Spice Select:
- 8 Ounce Bottle Turmeric
The FDA warns that these products should be thrown away immediately if you have them in your home. The organization also instructs you to call 201-564-0435 between 8 AM and 4 PM Eastern for assistance.