SANTA ANA — A fruit candy popular with Latinos and a marinated cabbage liked by Asians were banned by Orange County health officials on Friday for having dangerous levels of lead.
The County Health Care Agency's environmental health division warned consumers to throw the products away and deployed field workers to remove the contaminated items from grocery, liquor and convenience stores countywide, starting with outlets in heavily Latino and Asian communities.
Robert E. Merryman, director of the county's environmental health unit, said Picarindo brand tamarind candy obtained from a vending cart was discovered during a routine inspection to contain higher lead concentrations than the county has ever measured in a food product.
He said the jellylike candy sold in pottery crocks shaped like flowerpots was tested in a state laboratory and found to have lead concentrations from 3 parts per million to 83 parts per million.
"These levels are 12 to 332 times higher than the (federal) Food and Drug Administration's . . . emergency action level for lead in food," Merryman said in a statement alerting the public to discard the candy along with its clay container, which may be responsible for causing the contamination.
Merryman said in an interview that he is especially worried because the candy is consumed by children who are most susceptible to lead poisoning, which can damage kidneys and the central nervous system and result in learning disabilities.
But no illness has been reported so far, he said.
Prosy dela Cruz, regional administrator for the food and drug branch of the California Department of Health Services, said there are no FDA standards for lead allowable in food sold in clay containers. The standard Merryman is using, she said, applies instead to food stored in lead-soldered cans.
But she added that there is still sufficient reason to stop sales of the candy. She said that on Monday, the state intends to halt further sales at the Los Angeles company that distributes the candy, which is manufactured in Mexico.
Tom West, a health specialist for the Los Angeles County's environmental health division, said the candy distributor, Mojica Produce, already has agreed to stop selling the product.
West said health officials in Los Angeles County are awaiting confirmation of test results on the candy before taking steps to remove it from retail stores there.
