For those new to the Lead Safe Mama website:
Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her four sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005).
- Tamara owns and runs Lead Safe Mama, LLC — a unique community collaborative woman-owned small business for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety.
- Since July of 2022, the work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC has been responsible for five product recalls (FDA and CPSC).
- All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable.
- Please check out our press page to see some of the amazing coverage of our work so far this year!
Affiliate link to the test kit Lead Safe Mama, LLC uses for the laboratory food test results we publish: https://amzn.to/3UIPcHP
This is an ad-free article.
Advertising and affiliate income help Lead Safe Mama, LLC cover the costs of the work we do here (independent consumer goods testing and childhood Lead poisoning prevention advocacy). We have removed ads from most of our more widely-read articles (and newly published articles, too — like this one!) to make them easier for you to read. In addition to supporting this work by starting any shopping you might be doing with a click on our affiliate links, if you would like to support the independent consumer goods testing and childhood Lead poisoning prevention advocacy work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC by making a contribution (which will also help us keep our more widely-read articles ad-free), click here. Thank you!
Important Background: What is an Action Level?
Please note the following key points.
The original lab report for this product is below (at the bottom of this page).
The graphic above shows the levels of metals detected in this product (in red) along with the low threshold of detection (in green) for each of the metals not detected with the laboratory testing that Lead Safe Mama, LLC had completed for this product. The numbers are juxtaposed to (in blue) the “Action Level” that was proposed by the medical and scientific community in 2021 as part of the Baby Food Safety Act.
- These levels were set as “Action Levels” that are (in fact) protective of human health.
- An “Action Level” is NOT the same as a “Maximum Allowable Level.”
- Once something is as toxic as the “Action Level” it is officially over the threshold and into the realm of heavy metal levels that can cause lasting harm to children.
- The “Action Level” is the level at which the scientific and medical community believes the company (or government) needs to take ACTION to fix the problem (which also includes taking ACTION to inform the public that their product has an unsafe level of the metal detected at-or-above the “Action Level” — and which relevant batch numbers should be recalled/ not consumed).
- These Action Levels are not arbitrary, however they were not passed into law.
- These Action Levels reflect the current advice of the medical and scientific communities as levels both achievable and also protective of infant and toddler health — regardless of the fact that it is not illegal to have food for children test positive at these levels (as the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 was not passed into law).
- The legitimacy of these levels as “Action Levels”/ “Levels of Concern” (even though they were not adopted as law) is similar to the legitimacy of the America Academy of Pediatrics’ level of concern for Lead in water — which is 1 ppb — even though the FDA’s official “level of concern” for Lead in water is 15 ppb (you can read more about that here).
For safer food choices, click here.
For Lead Safe Mama, LLC’s pick for a safer salt, click here.
To read our salt overview article, click here.
If you are new here, please check out our website menu (link here) to see all of the other types of items we have tested and reported on! Welcome!
Published: June 30, 2024
The Selina Naturally Celtic Salt (pictured in this article) has a level of Lead that is incredibly unsafe for children to consume (even in the trace amounts that one might get with low levels of daily salt consumption). Supporting considerations:
- All federal agencies agree there is no safe level of Lead exposure.
- Lead bioaccumulates over time (it bio-mimics calcium and is stored in the body in place of calcium — especially during periods of significant growth, as one sees with younger children/ children going through growth spurts).
- Given the proposed “Action Level” of 5 ppb for Lead in products consumed by children (regardless of the serving size for any particular product) — the 626 ppb Lead that we found in the Selina Naturally Celtic Salt is extreme (by this and by any other measure).
- Given there are readily available natural sea salts that have next-to-no-Lead (in comparison), it makes sense to choose those salts over a salt like this.
- Here’s one example of a safer salt (our understanding is that this sea salt from Oregon has a test result of “less than 30 ppb Lead” and we will be testing this brand ourselves — in July 2024 — to confirm this): https://amzn.to/4cnWRmL
- The Lead is likely “added” to this Celtic Sea Salt (it doesn’t exist naturally with the salt when it is in the ocean) specifically given the manufacturing process requires that the salt sits in clay beds for drying (and this clay is likely heavily Lead-contaminated — as most natural clay is — especially when considering food toxicity levels for Lead contamination).
- To get any benefit from the alleged “beneficial trace minerals” in this Celtic Sea Salt, you would have to eat a lethal amount of salt.
- In addition to all of the above points, the greenwashing with this particular product and brand is fairly extreme — please take a look at their marketing and website images below (and continue reading below the images to see our actual laboratory testing report for this product).
Takeaway
If you have been feeding this product to your young children (or consuming it yourself), I would stop doing that immediately and consider getting them a Blood Lead Test (to help determine if they have had any exposure of concern from consuming this product). You can learn more about that at this link, and this link. Also, IF you have been seeing a doctor who has recommended this brand of salt, we recommend that you alert the doctor of these findings and also consider finding a new doctor who is aware of the concerns for (and impact of) persistent low level Lead exposure.
Some additional reading & links that may be of interest:
- The Lead Safe Mama affiliate link to purchase the test kits we used for this testing.
- Our landing page with links to all of the results for food products we have tested.
- Here’s how to send your own food samples into a lab for testing (the cost is $195 per single food sample tested for Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic) or how to collaborate with Lead Safe Mama, LLC on the food testing we’re hosting.
- The Food category of articles here on Lead Safe Mama dot com.
Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking a Lead Safe Mama, LLC Amazon affiliate link we may receive a percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you.
Holy smokes that’s a frightening large amount of lead! Thankfully my family uses lead-safe salt, but there are lots of families using this salt and being unknowingly exposed to high concentrations of lead. What actions can we take to protect people and get this salt off the shelf, or at least get a warning label put on it? Email the company? Email the FDA?
Where do you get lead safe salt?
For real what is actually safe salt
It’s linked here in this article that you are commenting on.
Thank you so much for your work and your tireless pursuit of the truth with regard to these food items! It is so appreciated.
I’ve purchased this salt in the past, partly due to the messaging regarding it being tested and safer than other types of salt! I’m really appalled at these results and intend to email Selina Naturally to request a return/refund and to ask what their intentions are going forward. Can you please say how big the sample size was that you had tested? In general, have you been testing a single serving size of these food items, a whole container, or some other amount? It would really help to put these test results in context for those of us who have been consuming these items.
Again, thank you!
Would love to know this too! And if it was tested more than once with different samples (like two different bags, for example).
Please read this for context – serving size is not relevant (that’s not how ppb works) – the amount in ppb is the same for a serving size or for an entire bag: https://tamararubin.com/2024/06/why-are-clean-label-project-purity-award-winning-products-testing-positive-for-lead-cadmium-mercury-arsenic/
Have you tried it on several bags to know that it is in their whole supply and not just that batch?
Our test results are consistent with the test results published by the company.
What the @#$%&? I fear this is just the tip of an incredibly toxic iceberg. Had been using this salt until JUST 6 months ago when I saw your testing results and recommendations for Jacobsen’s (the other recommended brand was out of stock for a prolonged period). And yes, this brand of Celtic has been recommended to me by practitioners and wellness gurus (since at least 2015). Have a bag sitting in my pantry.
Thank you, Tamara! You cannot test products fast enough. How do we help you scale? Are you prepared to run for president in 2028 and dismantle the FDA?
LOL – I love this comment. Was thinking about running for president… lol. There are some big things in the works (to scale things up) – I will email you.
T
I am just so annoyed that I have been consuming this! Would it be the same for the non ‘fine ground’ variety as we have the course one and grind it ourselves. I’ll be emailing them regardless. Thanks for all your work
I have been consuming this sprinkled in my water EVERYDAY now for a year since Barbara O Neil recommended this salt as one of the best and a great idea to help with muscle cramps and enabling your bodies cells to hydrate more effuciently.
I have recently been diagnosed with lupus and declining kidney function and i wonder how this may of played a roll.IM 62 year old female and makes a person wonder about supplements too.Is there a law suit going on or any further information regarding this .Why can it still be purchased through Amazon?
THANK YOU for your time and i look forward to hearing back
Jan
Hi Jan,
I will be reporting this product to the FDA this week. Declining kindey function is definitely linked to Lead exposure. You should get a lead test.
The product is not in violation of any laws.
T
Wowza! I’m guessing they’ll try to claim ‘well it’s not like water which has a lower standard for lead…you only use a small amount of our salt daily so you won’t be getting as much lead, overall’. Either way you cut it, that’s too high!!
Would love to see results for Original Himalayan Salt brand, as that’s an uber popular one!
https://himalayancrystalsalt.com
I have been using this salt for the past year and a half. Recently, I purchased a very large amount. I read this article and when Selina sent me an email to rate their product following my recent order, I stated that it had a lot of lead. They sent me the following as a response:
Thank you so much for your question. For salt analysis, descriptions, and quality, please see question 4 and 10 of our FAQ selinanaturally.com/faqs. We are confident that the salt you get from us is pure and unaltered, as Nature intended. Our producers test for purity at the source, and we do periodic 3rd party testing. We test for the things you do want to see in your salt like sodium, chloride, sulfate, magnesium, potassium, calcium, etc… We also test for things you do NOT want in your salt, such as lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, microplastics, and microorganisms.
Lead is naturally occurring in the environment. When it is in its natural form it is not reactive. The main sources of lead in our environment come from our air and water. Lead in Celtic Sea Salt® does not exceed .7ppm (Fine Ground Celtic). Makai Pure has no measurable lead. The lead in Celtic Sea Salt® is naturally occurring and does not pose a measurable threat compared to other sources.
Oh – that’s super amazing.
I will write a point-by-point rebuttal to this nonsense as soon as I have a moment.
Thank you for sharing this with me.
Can you send me a screenshot of their email? With the date and time – so I can share it? – I will block out your name and contact info. Thank you for considering it. TamaraRubin@mac.com
This is the same old b.s. party line that every food company says – and it’s so disturbingly wrong in so many ways AND they are admitting that their salt has up to 700 ppb Lead – which is NUTS.
For them to not realize (or intimate that they don’t realize) that the lead-contamination is a direct result of drying the salt in lead-contaminated clay beds (which is not natural at all – it’s part of a manmade process!) is so sad.
They have to deny the issue with a bunch of corporate spun lies to make this seem like a non-issue (for liability’s sake), while at the same time (in the same breath) they are acknowledging they are aware of the issue point blank / in black and white – with that .7 ppm (which is the same as 700 ppb).
#Sigh.
Thanks again for sharing!
T
I as well went on Amazon and rated the salt and said it contained lead and warned not to consume as well as posted articles .They immediatelt came back stating they will not allow me to post my comment.
Yeah, I recently tried to review a product on Amazon. The advertised model number was not what was being sold. That was all I said, and my review was rejected. I now realized the review process on amazon is a joke. I hardly buy anything from them anymore – can’t trust them.
Hello Tamara,
I am looking forward to this rebuttal.
Selina posted this on their website in response to the testing and it makes me so furious. “misled blogger” >:[
https://www.selinanaturally.com/selina-naturally-reaffirms-product-safety-after-consumer-concerns-about-lead-in-celtic-sea-salt
Omg I am horrified. Have been using this salt for some time.
Sorry if I missed it, but is that how much lead is found in one serving size of the salt??
Thank you for all your work!!!!!!
Hi there! This is AJ (one of Tamara’s sons) I’m helping my mom answer questions 🙂
That’s a great question. The test results are in parts per billion (ppb) which
can be thought of like a percentage (albeit a small one).
In the case of this salt, it tested positive for 626 ppb so that means that for ANY serving size of the salt it will be 0.000000626% lead.
Though that’s a small percentage, the 2021 proposed action level is only 5 ppb! So it just goes to show how extremely toxic lead can be even in small amounts.
Check out the “serving size” section of this article (section 3) for more info:
https://tamararubin.com/2024/06/why-are-clean-label-project-purity-award-winning-products-testing-positive-for-lead-cadmium-mercury-arsenic/
Have you tested any other sea salts? I saw your rec for Jacobsens sea salt but was wondering if there are others that are safe I can buy locally. Thanks
Hello! Thank you for commenting! This is AJ (one of Tamara’s sons). I’m helping my mom answer questions.
Check out this article for more salt brand recommendations and a deeper dive on this subject:
https://tamararubin.com/2020/10/how-much-lead-is-in-salt-which-salt-is-safest-to-use-for-cooking-is-himalayan-salt-safe/
You can also subscribe to the free mailing list by clicking the blue “subscribe” button at the top of this article to stay updated on any new information in real time.
Their website even tells you there’s less in this salt from their own nutrient analysis, they just list it differently (not in PPB but in percentage) “Lead – 0.000065%” … same as 626ppb rounded up. Yikes!
Vera salt says they are safe and third party tested. Comes from Spain I think.
salted my food to taste with this same salt for both my pregnancies and fed my toddlers. so sad…
What’s safe then , we’re running out of options here , from plastic food to lead in salts, aluminum in sodium bicarbonate, and the list goes on and on. By the way the FDA is a criminal organization.
What about Maldon flakes?
Thank you for your work 🙂
What about the “gourmet” red label one? Can you cross compare the different kinds? (A reach I know but I’m curious.)
Also yes can you test other brands for tested substitute recommendations? like Redmond real salt? I’ve heard is good.
Thank you for this information and all you do. It’s so helpful I’ve been using this salt and I had no idea. I just want resolve like the rest of us. It would be so helpful if you could continue your research on sea salt and recommend a brand that you test.
Redmond is quite bad – stand by for more tests. Subscribe to the newsletter to be among the first to see the results. 🙂
I’ll continue to use it, they have third party testing
Their testing also shows high levels of Lead.
According to an analysis I just read, showing lab results for Celtic Sea Salt (RE: the various minerals and trace elements found in it, etc.), it has fluoride in it, found at 0.01 mg per 1/4 teaspoon! Also, that same report found that it had Aluminum in it, at 0.11 mg per 1/4 teaspoon. I’m no expert, but that seems like a lot. Does anybody here know if that *is* a lot (i.e., actually unhealthy?)
Note: the narrative (text writing) that accompanied the analysis seemed to be trying to downplay any potential concern about those 2 substances, being found in the salt. The analysis might have been from a long time ago (1996, maybe?). Below is a link to that analysis. Anyone know if more recent lab analysis also show concerning levels of fluoride and/or aluminum to be found in Celtic Sea Salt? Are there any healthy / OK forms of fluoride?
http://www.curzio.com/N/Celtic_Sea_Salt1.htm
How old is this test report? I wonder if they changed the process?
This is just a few days old. The actual test report is at the bottom of the page – it is from June 25, 2024.
Hi, Do you have any testing on Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt…I only recently started using the Salina Celtic salt…thank God I’ve stopped using it immediately and now purchased the Diamond Crystal brand…would love if this safe. Thank you for educating and bringing awareness to all,of us..your time, efforts and dedication is appreciated
Hi! I currently use red man’s real sea salt. Have you come across any info about that? Thank you for bringing awareness, shocking to say the least.
This is the email response we received when asking about the lead according to your test. I asked for a copy of the latest 3rd party Certificate of Analysis test.
“Hello,
Thank you for reaching out directly to us.
We would like to reassure our consumers and put to rest any doubts about consuming our salt, especially for children. Our Celtic Sea Salt® products are safe and do not contain excessive levels of lead. Recently, a lead safety advocate inaccurately compared the lead content in a ¼ teaspoon serving of Celtic Sea Salt® to FDA-recommended levels for processed baby food products. It’s important to note that the advocate’s reference on their website about lead levels in processed baby foods pertains to a limit per processed food item. Children often consume multiple processed food items in a day. Using FDA’s IRL guidelines, a child or woman of childbearing age would need to consume 3.25 teaspoons of Celtic Sea Salt® Fine Ground in one day.
Selina Naturally® has never claimed zero lead in its products. Every harvest of our Celtic Sea Salt® varieties is tested by 3rd party labs for heavy metals, pathogens, and minerals
How much lead is in Celtic Sea Salt®?
Third-party scientific testing shows that a serving size (¼ tsp) of Fine Ground Celtic Sea Salt® contains 0.637 μg (micrograms) of lead, Light Grey Celtic Sea Salt® has 0.630 μg, Gourmet Kosher Celtic Sea Salt® contains .00003 μg, while in Makai Pure® Celtic Sea Salt® lead is not detected. Therefore, a child consuming one serving of one of these salt types remains well below the FDA’s Interim Reference Level (IRL) of 2.2 μg of lead per day
Please refer to the attached letter for further details. Our goal is to educate on how to interpret analyses accurately and avoid misleading comparisons. We will also be posting this along with further information soon on our website here. More information about our salt quality may be found on our FAQ page in sections 4, 10, and 11.
Thank you again, and we hope this addresses your questions and provides reassurance.
Much appreciation,
The Selina Naturally® Team
Thank you – others have sent this to me. The statements about our testing are intentionally misleading and meant to confuse the buyer. I will write a point by point response asap.
T
I use another one sold in amazon, “Le Paludier Coarse Grey Sea Salt from Guérande (France)” La Paludier de Guérande /Sel de Guérande. Pleeeaseee would you tell me if it also has those high leveles of mercury and lead :(( I am pregnant and have been using it :/
Not safe:https://tamararubin.com/2020/10/how-much-lead-is-in-salt-which-salt-is-safest-to-use-for-cooking-is-himalayan-salt-safe/
Is there any data on La Baleine sea salt fine grind? Thanks for all your work!
Hello, Tamara.
Thank you for all great work you do to help us navigate toxity!
What is recommended if I have been consuming Selina Celtic Sea Salt for years, and I have purchased MANY pounds (like more than 50 pounds of this salt, as I have it as a staple)??? I do not want to waste it, and I also depend on salt (but I am very particular, because I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and overt Hypothyroidism, along with digestive issues which benefit from quality salt…. (I have been diligently trying to avoid fluoride and must not overdo iodine–which I did overdo, in the past, with long-term, catastrophic consequences.)…. Currently, I am consuming Diamond Kosher Salt… which I do not like so much…. But, given my medical situation, I definitely am dependent on quality salt that is suitable for my metabolic needs. (Aside from this, I already know that I am lead-toxic and low in calcium… I know, terrible, and I do not ask pity… What is advisable to do with all this Selina Celtic Sea Salt that I have??? (I am low-income, and desperately want to regain my health–without going broke!).. Is this Diamond Kosher Salt safe?
Thank you, Tamara, and God bless you and your family!
With gratitude,
Mary Anne
So what are your thoughts on the Selena kosher and makai brands. They are saying the lead is extremely low, but your testing is only on the fine ground.
What is the best way to submit a request a product to be included in your test funding campaign? I would like to suggest and support the funding of testing Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. As opposed to the ultra expensive and not widely consumed celtic / grey sea salts, Diamond Crystal is the #1 salt used nation-wide by restaurants and home cooks, so its impact on the food supply is enormous and testing it would be of tremendous benefit to the public. The company that makes it, claims no detectable heavy metals are present. Furthermore, both Diamond Crystal and and Morton’s Iodized tested as ND across all key heavy metals in 3rd party tests done by [redacted] in 2023 – unlike Jacobsen’s Kosher which still had detectable Aluminum and 9ppb of Arsenic.
Please realize that the source you cited did not make their actual lab reports public – so we cannot confirm their findings.
That individual aslo has a history of being influenced by their corporate affiliates and partners – giving positive reviews to companies that test poorly (or that engage in greenwashing) because they have financial relationships with those companies.
On the other hand, all of our full lab reports are being published publicly, not behind a paywall and include details like low threshold of detection, date of testing, date of collection – etc.
Here’s the link with info on suggesting products: https://tamararubin.com/2024/05/how-to-test-food-yourself-via-a-lab-submission-for-lead-cadmium-arsenic-and-mercury/
Hello. Does the research apply to all Selina Naturally salts or just the fine ground? Ive been using the wet crystal version… And thank you so much for shining light on these super important points that the food industry tries to keep in the dark!!
Any of their Celtic gray salts.
Hi,
Please would you post link (s ) for salts you are recommending? ? If any??
As I can’tfind those?
Barbara O Neil promotes this salt too.
I had always assumed ( heard ) the dampness / grey is the Magnesium refined salts remove.
The only thing I would say is – clays do contain some of these heavy metals but also have a Negative charge ? Attached so the body absorbs very little – esp if the article is saying the grey colour is the Clay.
And peeps have consumed plays for millenia.
Still – will follow up.
Thankyou
Updated :
Apologies have found your Links for lead free products.
Whoops ~ Could find no links for Suggested other Salts.
Hi,
Thank you for sharing this vital info.
I was wondering if you tested any other brands?
I started using Le Marinier Celtic Salt and wonder if its high in lead.
My toddler is doing a rinse with it daily after brushing, not digesting it, maybe with 1/8 of a teaspoon dissolved in a small cup of warm water.
Will you be conducting any more tests and can you test this brand?
Thanks again,
Any gray celtic salt is potentially very dangerous – try the Jacobsen’s
https://tamararubin.com/2024/07/june-2024-laboratory-test-results-for-jacobsen-salt-co-pure-kosher-oregon-sea-salt/
Hello, thanks for your insights! What is your opinion on the counter-argument of Selina Naturally, found here: https://www.selinanaturally.com/selina-naturally-reaffirms-product-safety-after-consumer-concerns-about-lead-in-celtic-sea-salt
Corporate greenwashing and nonsense. Please watch my documentary film to better understand the concern.
Link to my film:
https://tamararubin.com/2023/01/a-link-to-my-film/
Read this too:
https://tamararubin.com/2023/12/to-get-a-beneficial-amount-of-the-trace-minerals-found-in-some-salts-i-e-himalayan-celtic-real-salt-etc-you-would-need-to-eat-a-lethal-amount-of-salt/
Read this too:
https://tamararubin.com/2023/12/the-myth-of-beneficial-trace-minerals-found-in-mined-i-e-himalayan-or-gray-unprocessed-i-e-celtic-salts-spoilers-its-all-greenwashing/
Tamara
have you tested for jovial salt crackers?
great lakes gelatin?
celtic salt ” makai” brand?
amy and brian coconut water?
can you?