A new study may give spicy food lovers pause.
Researchers from the University of Nevada Las Vegas found high levels of lead in several types of imported hot sauces during tests this week.
The study took 25 bottles of hot sauce from Mexico and South American. Each was tested for lead concentration and pH levels. Packaging was also tested for lead because it also contaminates the food.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, there's no safe standard for lead in hot sauce. There's a safe standard set for candy after evidence showed lead was an issue in certain imported products. The limit is set at 0.1 parts per million (ppm).
In 2010, the FDA issued an alert for the "detention without physical examination of candy due to lead" for 39 types of candies from countries such as Chain, Mexico and the Philippines.
About 16 percent of the products tested exceed the limit of lead levels found in a candy. All four products tested and above the limit were imported from Mexico, but were from different manufacturers. Not all manufacturer's names were mentioned in the original study.
* Salsa Picante de Chile Habanero, manufactured by El Yucateco
* El Pato Salsa Picante, manufactured by Walker Foods
* Salsa Habanera, manufactured by Salsas Castillo
* Bufalo Salsa Clasica, manufactured by Herdez
"Although hot sauce would not intuitively be counted amongst food products highly consumed by children, the study suggest that ethnic and cultural practices must be considered," according to a release by UNLV. "If hot sauce id a regular part of a child's diet, it could contribute to unsafe levels of lead exposure, especially when combined with exposure to lead in the soil, cookware, and candies, or paint manufactures before 1978."
The study suggested the FDA receive support to create and establish additional standards to protect consumers from chemical hazards, such as lead in hot sauces, enforce or clarify existing standards.
The study conducted by Shawn Gerstenberger and Jennifer Berger Ritchie was published in the Journal of Environment Science and Health. It is the first known investigation into lead levels in hot sauces.