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Examining Lead Exposures in California through State-Issued Health Alerts for Food Contamination and an

Margaret A Handley^1,2, Kali Nelson¹, Eric Sanford³

¹Division of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.

Environmental Health Perspectives

|November 1, 2017

Insights

California

Area of Science:

Environmental Health
Public Health
Toxicology

Background:

Childhood lead exposure is a significant public health concern in California.
Elevated blood lead levels (BLL) affect thousands of young children annually.
Identifying non-paint sources of lead exposure is crucial for prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the effectiveness of California's candy testing program in identifying and mitigating lead exposure.
To analyze trends in food and candy-related health alerts before and after program implementation.
To examine the characteristics of lead-contaminated candy alerts, including origin and dissemination time.

Main Methods:

Analysis of state-issued health alert data for food contamination over a 14-year period.
Comparison of alert data before (pre-2007) and after (post-2007) the candy testing legislation.
Examination of candy testing data from 2011-2012, including country of origin and ZIP code.
Assessment of the time lag between candy testing and health alert dissemination.

Main Results:

A significant increase in health alerts for lead in candy and food was observed after 2007.
Seventeen candies with high lead concentrations were identified.
Health alerts were rapidly disseminated (<2 weeks) to relevant stakeholders and the public.
Lead contamination affected multiple counties and ZIP codes, indicating widespread risk.

Conclusions:

State-based surveillance of lead in food and candy is an effective strategy for identifying and removing sources of lead exposure.
The candy testing program has successfully increased the identification and reporting of lead-contaminated products.
Prompt dissemination of health alerts is vital for protecting children from lead poisoning.

Read full analysis

Abstract

Summary:

In California, the annual number of children under age 6 y of age with blood lead levels (BLL) ≥10μg/dL is estimated at over 1,000 cases, and up to 10,000 cases when BLL between 4.5 and 9.5 μg/dL are included. State-issued health alerts for food contamination provide one strategy for tracking sources of food-related lead exposures. As well, California passed legislation in 2006 for the Food and Drug Branch (FDB) of the state health department to test and identify lead in candy. This report presents health alert data from California over a 14-y period, compares data before and after the candy testing program began, and examines country of origin, ZIP code data, and time from candy testing to release of health alerts for lead-contaminated candies for 2011-2012. After 2007, health alerts issued for lead in candy and food increased significantly. Analysis of candy-testing data indicated that multiple counties and ZIP codes were affected. Seventeen candies with high lead concentrations were identified, resulting in rapid dissemination (<2wk) of health alerts to local health departments and community clinicians and to the public. Surveillance of lead exposures from state-based food and candy testing programs provides an opportunity to identify and immediately act to remove nonpaint sources of lead affecting children. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2582.

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