Using lead paint to make fucking tumeric more yellow, jfc, Noah, get the boat

Archive link, to avoid the paywall.

There’s a simple test to make at home, if you’re worried about lead chromate in your turmeric: put it in water. The yellow from the turmeric itself is barely soluble, so pure turmeric shouldn’t dye the water. If it does, it was tampered with either yellow dye or… well, lead chromate. Videos for reference: whole turmeric, powder

Side note lead poisoning is so nasty that even the Romans already noticed it. They got cases of it due to lead acetate, an artificial sweetener made by boiling young wine in lead pots. (Plus they also used lead piping. I can’t blame them - have you ever messed around with metallic lead? It’s almost joyful, how much it bends and shapes to your will. )

Very interesting article, despite the clickbait title.

While this is a major issue in India and Bangladesh, the article says India produces 75% of the spice, so that’s worrying. I regularly make korean chicken curry at home so I need to check where the powder I’m using is coming from.