{
  "id": 8275894,
  "title": "FDA reveals 72% heavy metal contamination found in some baby cereal mix, turmeric",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/fda-reveals-72-heavy-metal-contamination-found-in-some-baby-cereal",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-18T15:20:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/fda-reveals-72-heavy-metal-contamination-found-in-some-baby-cereal-mix-turmeric/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in Ghana has expressed alarm over the discovery of potentially hazardous heavy metals in certain food, cosmetic, and traditional products widely used by Ghanaians. These items include baby cereal mixes, turmeric, kaagikaagi (kohl), hyire (bentonite clay), and some skin-lightening products. Speaking at the launch of the National Strategy for Heavy Metals Reduction in Food, Roderick Kwabena Daddey-Adjei, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer overseeing the Food Division at the FDA, revealed that a nationwide evaluation, backed by UNICEF, uncovered alarming levels of heavy metal contamination in selected products available on the Ghanaian market. He identified kohl (kaagikaagi), turmeric, cereal mixes, bentonite clay (hyire), and particular skin-lightening products as possible sources of heavy metal exposure, primarily to lead, cadmium, and mercury. Daddey-Adjei urged consumers to exercise caution when selecting and consuming products, emphasizing the importance of informed choices and heightened awareness of the risks associated with heavy metal exposure. According to the assessment, cereal mixes exhibited a 42.90% failure rate for lead contamination, bentonite clay showed a 24.62% failure rate for lead and a 29% failure rate for cadmium, while turmeric samples demonstrated significant contamination. These findings have raised concerns about the possible health impacts of prolonged exposure to heavy metals, especially for children and other vulnerable populations. Daddey-Adjei announced that the FDA would bolster market surveillance and carry out comprehensive operations across Ghana's markets to pinpoint and resolve products that do not comply with safety standards. He also disclosed that UNICEF had provided the FDA with an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) machine to enhance the agency's capabilities in detecting heavy metals in products.",
  "summary": "The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has raised concerns over the presence of potentially harmful heavy metals in some food, cosmetic, and traditional products commonly used by Ghanaians, including kaagikaagi (kohl), hyire (bentonite clay), cereal mixes for babies, turmeric and some skin-lightening products. Speaking at the launch of the National Strategy for Heavy Metals Reduction […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}