FEARS over the link between lead and lower IQs has prompted calls from Government experts for more action to cut the amount of lead eaten through food.
Consumers are being warned to wash vegetables thoroughly to remove potentially contaminated soil and glass-makers are being urged to reduce the lead content of glasses.
A report to Ministers said the average amount of lead people are eating through food was well within safety limits.
It said the amount of lead people were taking in through food had dropped in recent years to around 0.2 milligrams a week, well below the safety level of 1.5 milligrams a week.
However, the report, by the Steering Group on Chemical Aspects of Food Surveillance, said even low levels of lead exposure could damage neurophysiological development, damage blood formation and upset blood pressure.
In tests to measure lead leaching out of glass, levels in red wine rose from 45 to 160 micrograms a litre within four hours and in white wine from 85 to 200 micrograms a litre.
Leaching lead, the report said, was ''an avoidable source of lead contamination in the diet and it is Government policy to reduce exposure to lead wherever practicable''.
The Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF) said levels of lead and other metals were being continually monitored in food, but that overall the findings were reassuring for consumers.
Food Safety Minister Jeff Rooker said: ''I am pleased to see that levels are well below the safety limits.''
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article