Earlier this month, the Texas Department of State Health Services warned consumers not to eat certain imported dried plums, as well as products containing imported dried plums, because they have elevated levels of lead.
Most of the products typically are sold as salted or candied treats in Asian and Hispanic markets, but also are available in other retail outlets. Officials believe the dried plums came from Asia, but an investigation to identify specific sources is ongoing. Test results from a Texas laboratory showed that the dried plum products contained lead levels ranging from 0.11 parts per million to 30.3 parts per million (FDA guidelines recommend a maximum of 0.1 parts per million).
