The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning consumers not to eat eight specific types of dried plum snacks, also known as Saladitos, imported from China and Taiwan.
Tests conducted by CDPH found excessive levels of lead. Consumers in possession of the plums should discard the products immediately.
The implicated plums contained as much as 33.25 micrograms of lead per serving. Children younger than age 6 should not consume more than 3.0 micrograms of lead per day, according to the CDPH’s Food and Drug Laboratory Branch.
In response to the elevated levels of lead in these products, recalls are underway by multiple firms in California and Washington. A list of those companies and links to the recalls can be found below. California officials are warning the public about some products that are not yet under recall, based on company information posted by the Food and Drug Administration.
The affected plums were sold at retail stores throughout California and possibly in other states in late 2021 through early 2022.
Photographs and the following labeling descriptions can be used to identify the plums with excessive levels of lead:
| Product | Packaging Description | Lot Codes | Lead Result | Lead per Serving |
| El Chavito – Salted Plums with Chili | Plastic bag – net weight 1.7 oz – cartoon boy on label | N/A | 260 ppb | 10.5 µg |
| El Chavito – Dried Salted Plums | Plastic bag – net weight 1.7 oz – cartoon boy on label | N/A | 200 ppb | 9.6 µg |
| El Super Leon Saladitos Dry Salted Plums with Chili and Chamoy | Plastic bag – net weight 16 oz – cartoon yellow and red lion | 20210202 | 270 ppb | 13.01 μg |
| El Super Leon Saladitos Dry Salted Plums | Plastic bag – net weight 16 oz – cartoon yellow and green lion | 20210128 | 690 ppb | 33.25 μg |
| La Fiesta Saladitos Con Chile – Salted Plums with Chile | Plastic bag – net weight 1 oz – red, green, and yellow packaging | N/A | 240 ppb | 9.6 μg |
| Lupag Salted Plums – Saladitos | Plastic bag – net weight 0.5 oz – white, yellow, and red packaging | N/A | 1060 ppb | 7.42 μg |
| El Leoncito Ponchin Dry Salted Plums with Chili | Plastic bag – net weight 1.5 oz – red and clear packaging with small yellow lion | 20211101 | 280 ppb | 8.4 μg |
| Spice and Chili – Saladitos with Chili | Plastic bag – net weight 16 oz – clear packaging with small white label | N/A | 630 ppb | 18.9 μg |
The CDPH is asking that anyone who finds these products for sale should call the CDPH Complaint Hotline at 800-495-3232 or submit an electronic report here.
2022 List of FDA recall pages for dried plums for lead contamination:
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/rojas-inc-recalls-plain-dried-salted-plums-because-possible-health-risk
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/la-fiesta-food-products-recalls-saladitos-salted-plums-chili-because-possible-health-risk
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/ae-corrales-llc-recalls-saladitos-dried-salted-plums-chili-because-possible-health-risk
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/el-chavito-inc-recalls-saladitos-dried-salted-plums-and-saladitos-enchilados-salted-plums-chili
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/el-super-leon-ponchin-snacks-inc-recalls-saladitos-dry-salted-plums-because-possible-health-risk
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/rojas-inc-recalls-plain-dried-salted-plums-because-possible-health-risk
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