A new health alert from U.S.‐based Consumer Reports warns that many foods marketed as healthy are in fact “packed with toxins” linked to cancer, autism, and other serious illnesses.
The nonprofit examined 27 cassava‑based chips, biscuits, and crisps sold across U.S. and global markets. It found that two‑thirds of the samples contained more lead per serving than the group’s maximum recommended level—some up to 2,000 percent above what it deems safe.
Cassava, a starchy root popular with gluten‑free consumers, appears to absorb lead from soils where the metal occurs naturally or lingers from contaminated sewage sludge and fertilizers, experts say. Lead damages brain cells and has been tied to learning difficulties and even autism.
“This is the highest lead level we’ve ever seen in a cassava product,” said James Rogers, Consumer Reports’ director of food‑safety research. He urged shoppers to limit consumption: “Long‑term lead exposure can have serious health consequences.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states there is no safe level of lead, while California sets a guideline of 0.5 micrograms per day. Cassava’s popularity has surged among the estimated 3 million Americans who avoid gluten, fueling a booming market for “healthy” snacks that may not be so healthy after all.
Sources: Daily Mail report citing Consumer Reports – viewed by Al Arabiya Net.