All this (and more!) comes from a turmeric spice and supplement analysis conducted by ConsumerLab.com, an independent company that tests the quality and safety of health products. First, the grim details: Two of the nine turmeric/curcumin supplements tested contained a lot less of the healthy curcuminoid compound than was listed on the label. In one case, a product contained just 33% of the labeled curcuminoids. The other mislabeled sample was also contaminated with slight amounts of lead and cadmium. And now the gory details. “We found a disgusting amount of filth from insects in some turmeric spices which, although not a safety concern, can largely be avoided," said Tod Cooperman, MD, President of ConsumerLab.com. All five of the turmeric spices tested contained some evidence of insects, according to the report. But it was within the three organic spice products that the beetle larva and other evidence of “stored product pests” turned up. (That’s not counting the largely unavoidable “field insect” parts that turned up in the non-organic products.) The FDA does allow some insect parts to make their way into the food products it approves. At low levels, they’re not harmful. And while the FDA doesn’t test turmeric spices, ConsumerLab.com found that The Spice Hunter’s ground India turmeric ($30 for a pack of six, amazon.com) had the lowest amounts of insect parts among the samples tested (and would pass the type of FDA limits imposed on similar spices like curry). In general, non-organic turmeric tended to contain fewer insects, the analysis found. And what about turmeric and curcumin supplements? Among the products that passed ConsumerLab.com’s testing, Doctor’s Best Curcumin C3 Complex ($48 for 120 capsules, amazon.com) and NOW Curcumin ($15 for 60 capsules, amazon.com) were some of the most affordable. More from Prevention: The Spice That Could Fight Dementia
