The FDA is warning about lead in imported Rashko Baba cookware. These products are made from aluminum, brass, and aluminum alloys known as Hindalium/Hindolium or Indalium/Indolium, and have the potential to leach lead into food. This cookware should not be distributed or sold in the U.S. market. There have been high lead levels found in resettled refugee populations in Washington state.
There is no level of safe exposure to lead. This heavy metal can cause serious health problems. Short term exposure to very low levels of lead may not cause any symptoms. The effects of lead consumption can vary based on the amount consumed, the length of exposure, and the patient’s age and body weight. If a child is exposed to enough lead for weeks or months, permanent damage to the central nervous system can occur, including lowered IQ. In adults, chronic lead exposure is associated with kidney problems, high blood pressure, and neurocognitive effects.
The Public Health Department of Seattle and King County told the FDA about testing of that imported cookware and the high blood lead levels in some people. You can see a list of the cookware at the PHSKC web site, along with photos of the cookware.
Some of the recalled Rashko Baba cookware products include Wee’s Beyond Caldero (Aluminum), Chue Chin Hua Steamer (Aluminum), Luxmi Pooja Cookpot (Aluminum), Rashko Baba Pressure Cooker (Aluminum), Lakshmi Nellai Idli Maker (Hindalium/indalium), Iron King Kadai (Hindalium/indalium), and Taluka Pital Pot (Brass), among others.
Some of these products may still be available for purchase. even though the FDA added the manufacturer of the cookware, Rashko Baba Co. Ltd., to an FDA import alert in March 2022.
If you bought any of these items, stop using them immediately. See your doctor if anyone is experiencing symptoms of lead toxicity.
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