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State Health Department
Warns Consumers Not To Eat
Chaca Chaca, Lead-Contaminated Candy From Mexico
Sacramento
- Consumers,  particularly
infants, young children and pregnant women, should avoid eating
Chaca Chaca, an imported chili-based candy from Mexico, because
this product may contain excessively high levels of lead that
could cause serious health problems, Dr. Gilberto Chavez,
associate director and state epidemiologist of the California
Department of Health Services (CDHS), warned today.
"Lead is
toxic to humans, especially infants, young children and
developing fetuses, in both short- and long-term exposures,
and can result in learning disabilities and behavioral
disorders that could last a lifetime," Chavez said.
Recent
analysis of Chaca Chaca by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) identified that the candy may contain
as much as 0.3 to 0.4 micrograms of lead per gram of
product. FDA has recommended that children under age 6
should not consume more than 6.0 micrograms of lead each day
from all food sources. Because of the large size of these
candies, which are more than 30 grams in weight per piece, a
young child eating one of these contaminated candies could
ingest nearly twice the recommended level. FDA has placed
the Chaca Chaca product on "Import Alert" to detain future
shipments of the candy and prevent its importation into the
United States.
Chaca
Chaca is a brownish-red colored fruit pulp bar that is
coated with salt and chili powder. The candy is sold in
packages of several small individually wrapped strips that
often include a picture of a locomotive on the wrapper. The
candy can be found in small markets throughout California.
Pregnant
women and parents of children who may have consumed Chaca
Chaca should consult with their physician or health care
provider to determine if further medical testing is
warranted. For more information about lead poisoning,
parents and caretakers should contact their local childhood
lead poisoning prevention program or local public health
department. Additional information and a list of local
childhood lead prevention programs are available at CDHS'
Web site at
/www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/FDB%20Lead%20In%20Candy%20Program.aspx. The California
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch can also be
reached at (510) 622-5000 for a list of these programs.
Consumers in possession of Chaca Chaca
candy should dispose of the product or return it to the
place of purchase for a refund. The public is encouraged to
report any sellers of the candy by calling CDHS' Services
Complaint Hotline at 1-800-495-3232.
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