Chef Brand Milk Pan 24 cm.

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

A milk pan sold across several East Coast states is being pulled from store shelves over a safety concern tied to what may be getting into the food, not just what is used to cook it.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted a company announcement on Wednesday, Nov. 19, from New York-based Shata Traders Inc. of Brooklyn, recalling its Chef Brand Milk Pan 24cm. The product, sold under the Majestic Chef Pan brand name, may be contaminated with significant levels of lead that can leach into food, according to the notice.

The recall covers Chef Brand Milk Pan 24cm units distributed in NY, NJ, CT, MD, VA, and MA. The pans are packaged as 6 pieces per box, but each pan is sold individually at retail.

Federal officials say lead is toxic to humans at any level of exposure. The company notice warns that even low levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for children and fetuses. Over time, eating food prepared in cookware that leaches lead can raise levels in the blood.

Children and babies are described as more vulnerable because of their smaller body size, metabolism, and rapid growth. At low levels, they may not show obvious symptoms but can still develop learning problems, lower IQ, and behavior changes. At higher levels of exposure, people may experience fatigue, headache, stomach pain, vomiting, or neurologic changes.

FDA staff collected product samples from a retail store and testing found leachable lead at levels considered harmful for human consumption, the announcement states.

No illnesses have been reported so far.

Anyone who purchased a Chef Brand Milk Pan 24cm is being asked to stop using it right away and return it to the store where it was bought for a full refund. Customers with questions can call Shata Traders Inc. at (718) 369-7000 and ask for Mahboob Rahman.