• The lead content in imported goods repesents a potential health hazard.glass in lead image by Graham Marsh from Fotolia.com
  
  Every day, consumers buy items that contain lead without knowing it. While the United States monitors lead levels in things like toys and paint, imported items containing lead often reach the shelves. Many of these products have labels in other languages, so the only way to find out about lead content is by recalls. In 2008, for example, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled Pecoware's children's jewelry, eeBoo's sketchbooks and several of RR Donnelley's educational products for high levels of lead.
  
  

Jewelry

• In 2004 and 2006, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled millions of pieces of metal jewelry commonly found in vending machines and thousands of charm bracelets. The 2006 recall happened after the death of a child who ingested a toy containing lead. Other jewelry examples noted as having unsafe lead levels include Claire's silver best friend necklace and pink diamond clip-on earrings, as well as Gloria Duchin's slilverstone heart necklace.
  
  

Paint

• Houses build prior to 1978 often contain lead-based paint. The chips and dust from this paint pose health risks. Federal law requires that homeowners notify renters or buyers of known lead-paint hazards by lease disclosure and sales contracts.
  
  

Candy and Dried Plums

• Various manufacturers and distributors from Mexico and China have candy and dried-plum products containing high amounts of lead. Consumers should watch for products with labels saying the Original Chinese Candy, Fruit Chinese Style Dried Prune, Cheung Fat Plum, Casa De Dulce Salted Plum Suckers, Hinojosa Brothers Salted Prunes, Mexican Products & Spices 7 Salted Plums, Roxy Trading Company Preserved Liquoriced Prune and Tang Hoi Moon Chan Pui Mui Preserved Plum, just to name a few. When in doubt, don't buy.
  
  

Folk Remedies

• Folk remedies coming in from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Mexico and India sometimes contain lead. Specifically Greta and Azarcon, used for treating upset stomachs, contain unhealthy levels of lead. Other products to be wary of include Pay-loo-h, Bala Goli, Kandu and Ghasard.