Sweet plums from China contain high levels of lead

Saturday, December 3rd 2005, 6:12 am

By: News On 6

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ Young children and pregnant women should avoid cured sweet plums imported by Shun Tai Preserved Fruits of China because the products may contain high levels of lead, California health officials warned Friday.

Random testing conducted on the fruit found the plums contain between 0.41 and 0.67 micrograms of lead per gram of product. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that maximum daily consumption of lead from all sources should not exceed 6.0 micrograms for children under age 6 and 25 micrograms for pregnant women.

No illnesses have been reported, but state Public Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton warned of unacceptable exposure.