UNC Greensboro
Turmeric is one of the key ingredients in many Asian dishes, and provides a mustard-like, earthy aroma and pungent, slightly bitter flavor to foods. Although typically used in its dried, powdered form, turmeric is also used fresh.
Additional name(s): Haldi, Curcumin, Cúrcuma
Recalls & Warnings
6/30/16 – FDA Import Alert, Tumeric powder from Visakarega Trading Private in India
12/16/16 – FDA Import Alert, Tumeric powder from IndoVedic Nutrients in India
8/5/16 – U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a recall for turmeric powder produced by J.M. Exotic Foods, Inc. as a result of elevated lead levels found in samples. No amount of lead is safe to ingest. The turmeric powder was exclusively distributed to a farmer’s market in Doraville, GA from May until August 2016. Product information includes: Item Number 1153, packaged in 4 oz. clear plastic clamshells, product codes: Lot# 16131185 and Lot # 16165184
7/28/16 – Gel Spice, Inc. Issues Alert on Elevated Lead Levels in One Lot of Fresh Finds Ground Turmeric Powder Gel Spice, Inc. is recalling one lot of Fresh Finds Ground Turmeric Powder because the product contains elevated lead levels. The recalled “Fresh Finds Ground Turmeric” is packaged in 3.75 oz. PET jars. It has a code of B/B 03/08/19 and B/B 05/18/19 on the neck of the container. The package also has a UPC code of 81026-01230. The product was distributed at Big Lots Stores throughout the United States. Routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ food inspectors and subsequent analysis of the product by the New York State Food Laboratory revealed the elevated level of lead. No Illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
11/28/14 – FDA Import Alert, Tumeric (ground, cracked) from Pran Agro in Bangladesh
Resources