CALIFORNIA, Effort to remove lead from Mexican treatsCandies, chiles, dried grasshoppers can poison children

Sunday, January 15, 2006

One way Mexicans living in California maintain their cultural roots is snacking on treats from home -- tamarind candies, lollipops dipped in chile powder and, among Oaxacans, dried grasshoppers tossed with lime, garlic, chiles and salt.

But those cherished Mexican treats are poisoning the children who snack on them because they contain astronomical levels of lead, a metal that can lower IQ, stunt growth, damage kidneys, cause seizures and kill its victims.

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