Lead Info Page

If you are concerned about lead poisoning, it is extremely important to be aware that the most common source of lead poisoning is actually lead-based paints and dusts. This is also why young children are more susceptible to lead poisoning; because they are often putting things from the floor into their mouths! For more info click here!

Prior to the 1950s, white paint often contained 50% lead which works out to be 500,000 ppm! In 1977 lead in paint was limited to 600 ppm.

With new lead guidelines, lead exposure in young kids has decreased by 97% since the 1980s! Click here to see the source of this info!

For a general idea of the microgram / gram or ppm of lead found in common food items, check out the chart below! This Brazilian study tested almost 9,000 food items to get this data. Unfortunately, there is no comparable one for the US. Mg/ Kg = PPM, so you can read the chart as if it were PPM! It’s an amazing way to gauge what is normal. You can read the study here!

Sadly, there are many fear-mongers who profit off of creating hysteria. If they tested any food on this list, they would probably try to “cancel” them. (Although it seems they go after brands- not specific foods!)

They use tactics like converting numbers to PPB (parts her billion) to make them look larger and more frightening. You’ll notice that most -if not all- studies and COAs use ppm or a one-to-one equivalent; which is the common standard of measurement in this situation.

They also fail to acknowledge that the amount of lead allowed is directly relative to the amount consumed. The FDA states;

“To determine if the level of lead in a food is a potential health concern, the FDA considers the toxicity of lead and the level of exposure based on the level of lead in the food and estimated consumption.”  ie, the amount of something you consume is a crucial factor when determining the safe levels.

Remember, ppm gets multiplied by each gram consumed to get the total grams of lead. This is why when people compare the standards of lead in something consumed in large amounts (like drinking water) to something consumed in tiny quantities- like toothpaste or salt, they show a severe lack in understanding. 

I would encourage everyone to do your own research; all the info you need is available online! You will find that most (if not all) of the hysteric’s claims are shut down when you begin to compare the numbers they panic over to the average amount of contaminants found in food items you consume daily! 

These people are trying to get reaction online and get their posts shared, not trying to educate. If they wanted to educate, they would teach you how to calculate yourself so that you can have a deeper understanding and also confirm their findings yourself!

PPM equals microgram per gram- so you can multiply ppm by the number of grams of the food being consumed to calculate total amount of contaminant being consumed. You can google average levels and calculate for yourself.

For example; if the average beet is 150 grams and the average micrograms of lead per gram (ug/g) is 0.3, you multiply 150 x 0.3 to get your average amount of lead per whole beet. Average levels are found all over google- and you now have  the tools to calculate and compare yourself! Doesn’t it make sense how beets could theoretically have lower ppm than cinnamon, but because you eat 150 g of beet vs 1 g of cinnamon, you are actually consuming more contaminate with the beets? 

Be empowered to create your own informed judgments! You can trust yourself :)