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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded its warning to consumers and retailers not to use or sell certain imported cookware that may leach significant levels of lead into your food.

The list of cookware has grown from the FDA’s initial alert in August, issued after tests showed some types of imported cookware made from brass, aluminum, and aluminum alloys (known as Hindalium/Hindolium or Indalium/Indolium) had leached into food when used for cooking, making food unsafe. On Friday, three additional cookware products used for cooking or food storage were added to the list.

The FDA investigation remains ongoing as it continues to collect and sample cookware, and the agency said other products may also be affected. It will continue to update the public. Here’s what to know.

Why is lead dangerous?

As Fast Company previously reported back in August, lead is toxic for humans. Even low levels can cause serious health problems.

Certain groups, such as children, women of childbearing age, and those who are breastfeeding may be at higher risk after eating food from cookware leaching lead. Babies and kids are more susceptible to lead toxicity due to their smaller body size, metabolism, and rapid growth.

Which cookware is listed in the expanded warning?

The original August 13 recall warning was issued for Saraswati Strips Pvt. Ltd., an Indian aluminum cookware company that sells Tiger White brand cookware. Because the FDA could not “identify and contact the distributor or responsible party to facilitate a recall,” this product may still be sold in retail stores.

On Friday, September 12, three additional products were added to the list, including Silver Horse cookware distributed by Patel Brothers, and JK Vallabhdas products distributed by Indian supermarket chain INDIACO.

The original product warning details are as follows:

• Brand and product name: Pure Aluminium Utensils, Tiger White, RTM No. 2608606, an ISO 9001:2015 certified company
• Retailer: Mannan Supermarket, 166-11 Hillside Ave., 1st  Floor, Jamaica, NY
• Manufacturer: Saraswati Strips Pvt. Ltd., India
• Recall status: The FDA was unable to identify the distributor responsible for effectuating a recall.

Here are the details for the three additional products:

• Brand and product name: Aluminium Mathar Kadai 26, Silver Horse, 7 6554273084 5
• Retailer: Patel Brothers, 830 W. Golf Rd., Schaumburg, IL
• Manufacturer: Goyal Group Inc., 179 Express St., Plainview, NY
• Recall status: Distributor notification in progress

• Brand and product name: Aluminium Milk Pan 4, Silver Horse, 7 6554272863 7
• Retailer: Patel Brothers, 830 W. Golf Rd., Schaumburg, IL
• Manufacturer: Goyal Group Inc., 179 Express St., Plainview, NY
• Recall status: Distributor notification in progress

• Brand and product name: Aluminium Kadai India Bazaar, JK Vallabhdas, #3 2000000772
• Retailer: INDIACO, 15 Golf Ctr., #17, Hoffman Estates, IL
• Manufacturer: Grain Market LLC, 12626 International Pkwy., Dallas, TX
• Recall status: Distributor notification in progress

FDA recommendations

Consumers should check their homes for the products and throw away the cookware. Do not donate or refurbish it.

Consumers who are concerned they may have been exposed to lead or elevated levels of lead should contact their healthcare provider.

Retailers and distributors are encouraged to consult with the FDA regarding the safety and regulatory status of any products used in contact with food that they market or distribute.

Additional questions can be sent to the FDA via email at premarkt@fda.hhs.gov.

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If your summer skincare looks more like dessert than SPF, the FDA has a message: put down the whipped cream canister — especially if it’s actually sunscreen.

On Monday, the agency dropped an unusually beachy buzzkill, warning that mousse-style sunscreens — the viral, fluffy-textured formulas all over TikTok — might not protect you as promised. Even worse? Their ice-cream-topping aesthetic could tempt someone to take a taste. And yes, that’s as bad of an idea as it sounds.

“Beware of sunscreen products in mousse form because they might not be effective,” the agency wrote on X. “Some mousse sunscreen products resemble whipped cream containers and may put consumers at risk if ingested.”

The FDA’s social media statement was accompanied by a flurry of official warnings issued to companies making mousse-style sunscreens, which have taken off thanks to TikTok trends and influencer campaigns. On TikTok, some videos joke about mousse sunscreen’s resemblance to whipped cream by pretending to ingest it.

The warnings were issued to five sunscreen companies: Supergoop, Vacation, TiZO, Kalani and K & Care Organics. 

In the letters, the FDA states that the brands’ mousse sunscreens don’t comply with its guidelines and haven’t been approved to be marketed in mousse form. According to the FDA, sunscreens in forms “other than oil, lotion, cream, gel, butter, paste, ointment, stick, spray, and powder” need an additional authorization to be marketed as effective sunscreen.

“As previously stated, there are no FDA-approved applications in effect for your drug products,” the agency states. The FDA gave the sunscreen brands 15 days to reply or pursue compliance with the concerns in the letter, which was dated back to August 6.

The FDA went further with the viral mousse sunscreen brand Vacation, pointing to “misbranding” concerns with some of the company’s packaging. Vacation’s Classic Whip sunscreen comes in a red and white canister that’s designed to look almost exactly like a can of whipped cream – a marketing flourish that sent its mousse sunscreens viral. 

“Specifically, your sunscreens are presented in metal canisters… that outputs a star-shaped foam and have a strong overall resemblance to the metal canisters ordinarily used to package whipped cream products and similar dessert toppings,” the FDA wrote, adding that selling products classified as drugs in food container lookalikes increases the risk of accidental ingestion. 

What’s the deal with the mousse?

While traditional lotion, stick and spray sunscreens have occupied drug store shelves for years, mousse-style sunscreens only exploded onto the scene recently. Accelerated by TikTok posts of influencers slathering themselves in what looks like Reddi-wip,  Vacation quickly enjoyed its social media-powered moment in the sun. 

The brand’s thoroughly 80s aesthetic and creative marketing have kept its sunscreen, “inspired by everyone’s favorite after dinner indulgence,” in the skincare conversation. Now, Vacation’s mousse sunscreen is on shelves at Target and Ulta. This summer, Vacation partnered with Erewhon, LA’s astronomically expensive viral grocery chain, to release a “sunscreen smoothie” for paying members, made with coconut and themed after the skincare brand’s summery scents.

Beyond the Reddi-wip drama, the U.S. sunscreen scene is not without its share of controversies. Skincare devotees have long known that American sunscreen pales in comparison to options in Europe and Asia. Beyond the U.S., sunscreen formulations include UV-blocking ingredients that haven’t yet gained FDA approval. The problem largely comes down to the fact that sunscreen is regulated as a drug in the U.S., while many other countries treat it as a cosmetic.

While sunscreens sold stateside are good at handling UVB rays that cause sunburn, they’re missing better options for blocking UVA rays, which penetrate skin deeply and are a known cause of cancer. The U.S. hasn’t approved a new sunscreen active ingredient in more than two decades – a fact that has American travelers regularly stocking their luggage with the good stuff when traveling abroad.

“At Supergoop! we remain committed to innovation in sun care and the highest standards of product efficacy and safety,” the company told Fast Company in a statement. “The recent communication from the FDA regarding our PLAY SPF 50 Body Mousse is focused on product labeling and has nothing to do with its safety, effectiveness, or formula. We are working closely with the FDA to resolve this matter as we continue to uphold the high standards our consumers expect from us.”

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