India and Bangladesh (at least) have a history of adultering spices:
https://stanmed.stanford.edu/turmeric-lead-risk-detect/
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/dec/24/d...
https://stanmed.stanford.edu/turmeric-lead-risk-detect/
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/dec/24/d...
>She found lead in all of them.
>The cause, she found, was food colouring contaminated with compounds of lead. Lead chromate was added to the turmeric to brighten its golden colour and lead oxide gave the chilli powders a rich red hue.
It might be an excuse, though. Their heavy metal content is likely why people started using spices in the first place. They can't taste good without them. Nothing can. We evolved to detect their presence, and like their taste.
This should be a world wide issue that's tackled with the same urgency as a emerging disease. But it is not.