Paprika to Go on Sale Again in Hungary
Paprika will go on sale again this week under strict new controls designed to prevent more people from being poisoned by lead-laced fakes, officials said Friday.
Attila Karoly Soos, state secretary in the industry and trade ministry, told reporters that the government had approved a decree allowing paprika sales to resume only in shops and only in packages bearing a special stamp of quality approval.
Hungary banned sales of paprika powder Sept. 29 after dozens of people fell ill after eating contaminated batches of the spice in their food.
Investigations showed that criminals had laced low-quality, pale powder with a red anti-corrosive paint called minium, which contains massive amounts of lead.
In all, the tainted paprika sickened 108 people, 65 of whom required treatment in local hospitals.
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