New York Wholesale Group is recalling Zaarah Herbals Dietary Supplements to the consumer/user level due to the potential to be contaminated with elevated levels of lead and arsenic, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The recall includes Zaarah Herbals Rasayan Churan, Zaarah Herbals Gurmar Powder, Zaarah Herbals Vasaka Powder, and Zaarah Herbals Bhringraj Powder.

The Hicksville, New York-based company’s recalled products are packaged in clear 100g or 3.5oz jars with gold lids.

The recalled items include Bhringraj Powder with Batch BJ 04, UPC 6 35028 99973 1, Gurmar Powder with Batch GD 04, UPC 6 35028 99969 4, Vasaka Powder with Batch VK 04, UPC 6 35028 99967 0, and Rasayan Churan with Batch RY 04, UPC 6 35028 99966 3. All recalled products were manufactured in July 2022.

The impacted products were distributed to retailers located in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California between 12/20/2024 and 01/07/2025.

The recall was initiated following an analysis by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection’s Food & Standards Division, which found that the products contained high levels of lead and inorganic arsenic.

Lead exposure can affect almost every system in the body, with its impact depending on the level, duration, and a person’s age or body weight. Short-term exposure to low lead levels may not cause obvious symptoms, though it can still raise blood lead levels. In contrast, high lead exposure over a short period is more likely to cause noticeable health issues.

Prolonged lead exposure during pregnancy can result in lasting damage to the fetus’ central nervous system, increasing the risk of developmental delays and learning disabilities.

In adults, long-term exposure is linked to kidney damage, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cognitive decline.

Inorganic arsenic exposure is associated with cancer, skin disorders, heart disease, and diabetes. When a fetus, infant, or child is exposed, it can affect brain development and raise the risk of cancer later in life.

However, the company has not received any reports of illness regarding the recalled products.

Customers who purchased these products are advised not to use them and return them to the store for a full refund.

In similar recalls, around 9,535 cases of eight-ounce Great Value Apple Juice, sold by Walmart Inc., were recalled in August last year as it contained inorganic arsenic above the action level set in industry guidance.

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The North East Tea Association on Tuesday welcomed the Assam budget’s proposal for an AI-driven, blockchain-based tea auctioning system in the state. It also lauded the extension given to the exemption of green leaf cess for another two years.

‘The proposal in the state budget presented on Monday for an AI-driven, blockchain-based tea auctioning system is an excellent initiative and we welcome this step of the government,’ NETA advisor Bidyananda Barkakoty said on Tuesday.

According to the budget proposal, the Assam government will work with tea industry stakeholders to introduce India’s first AI-driven, blockchain-based tea auctioning system to enhance transparency and efficiency. The digital platform will revolutionise the tea trade by ensuring secure transactions and fair pricing. The initiative will strengthen Assam’s position as a global leader in the tea industry, it said.

Barkakoty pointed out that a blockchain auction is a decentralised, transparent and tamper-proof auctioning system built using blockchain technology which will ensure fair bidding, eliminate fraud and provide immutable records of transactions.

“We must, however, go step-by-step by first introducing Artificial Intelligence and then blockchain so that trade is not disrupted,” he added.

The former vice chairman of the Tea Board of India further said that NETA is also happy over the extension given to the exemption of green leaf cess for another two years. The extension on exemption of green leaf cess was given in the budget in 2022 for a period of three years effective from Jan. 1, 2022 and it expired on Dec. 31, 2024.

This year’s budget further extended the exemption by another two years under the ‘Assam Taxation (on specified lands) Act’. Prior to 2022, tax of 40 paisa per kg of green leaf was levied for lands exceeding 40 hectares and 25 paisa per kg of green leaf for lands not exceeding 40 hectares.

Barkakoty also urged the state government to have provisions for generic promotion of Assam Tea so that the per capita consumption of tea increases in the country. ‘Engaging a brand ambassador for Assam Tea can further help the generic promotion,’ he added.

The budget proposals also include provisions for 800 four-seater trailer-mounted mobile toilets to cover all the tea gardens of the state, while Rs 109 crore was allocated to the Labour Welfare Department for establishing mobile creches and toilet units in strategic locations, including tea gardens.

In a bid to improve healthcare for tea garden workers, the ‘Healthy Garden Population Comprehensive Health Screening’ initiative will be launched in 20 tea gardens while ‘Durgam to Sugam’ initiative has been announced which offers financial incentives to doctors working in remote areas.

A one-time financial assistance of Rs 5,000 has also been announced for both casual and permanent workers. The budget also proposed to create a digital tourism circuit, banking upon homestays and tea tourism facilities in Assam. ‘All these proposals will go a long way in helping the tea industry and its workers,’ Barkakoty added.