{State issues warning on lunch boxes } {The promotional items handed out by health officials may contain elevated levels of lead. }
More than 50,000 lunch boxes given out by the state as part of its nutrition education effort may contain elevated levels of lead and the public should stop using them, officials said today.
The California Department of Public Health said testing found increased lead levels in three lunch boxes, which were made in China. They are green canvas and bear a logo that says, "Eat Fruits And Vegetables And Be Active." Officials urged the public to stop using the roughly 56,000 such boxes that have been handed out at health fairs and other events.
People should return the lunch boxes to the places they got them or take them to their local household hazardous waste collection facility for disposal, officials said.
The department has handed out about 300,000 lunch boxes for health promotion and nutrition education, through programs such as the Network for a Healthy California Program and the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children.
Dr. Mark Horton, director of the department, said in a statement that all of its health promotion items would be evaluated for safety.
"We will no longer use lunch boxes until such time as we are assured that every lunch box is safe," he said.
The boxes that tested positive for lead were manufactured by TA Creations, which has factories in Canton, China.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children are more vulnerable than adults to lead poisoning, and even low levels of exposure can affect a child's mental and physical growth.
No known cases of lead poisoning have resulted from the use of the lunch boxes, officials said.
tami.abdollah@latimes.com
