A range of kitchen knives is being recalled after they were found to contain elevated levels of lead.
Knives produced by Pakistan-based Black Forge Knives that were first recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) in April 2024 have now been given a Class II risk definition. Under the FDA’s definition, a Class II recall is “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”
The following six products are subject to the recall:
- Carbon Steel Utility Kitchen Knife. Model: CSK1700. Total length: 10.25″
- Carbon Steel Utility Kitchen Cleaver Knife. Model: CSK1701. Total length: 10.5″
- Carbon Steel Utility Kitchen Knife. Model: 501141. Total length: 9.5″
- Burnt Bone & Carbon Steel Ulu Knife. Model: 2432. Total length: 4″
- Rosewood Carbon Steel Ulu Knife. Model: 501204. Total length: 4″
- Rosewood Carbon Steel Meat Cleaver Model: 501172. Total length: 10.25″. Sold direct to consumers via Bespoke Post.
In total, 21,000 units sold in Georgia and online are being recalled.
While lead is a naturally occurring element found in the environment, elevated levels can lead to health risks, particularly in young children and pregnant women, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Lead can accumulate in our bodies over time, and it is stored in the bones.
Lead is a particular risk to children as their bodies absorb more and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to its damaging effects. If there are higher than normal levels of lead in a child’s body, it can lead to behavior and learning problems, lower IQ, hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems and anemia. The EPA says that in rare cases, exposure to lead can cause seizures, coma and even be fatal.
It can also pose a serious risk to expecting mothers and their unborn children. When a woman becomes pregnant, lead is released from the bones along with calcium, which is then passed to the fetus through the body, or after birth while breastfeeding.
If a fetus is exposed to too much lead, it can result in the baby to be born prematurely and with a low birth weight. It can also cause damage to the brain, kidneys and nervous system, and there is a higher risk of learning or behavioral problems developing, the EPA says.
In other adults, lead exposure can lead to cardiovascular problems, increased blood pressure, hypertension, decreased kidney function and reproductive problems.
