Study Finds Cadmium in Most Pasta Brands Tested
Listen to the story
A new study looked at pasta. It tested 36 kinds of spaghetti and penne. The study found cadmium in 80% of them. Cadmium is a metal. It can be bad for health.
The study tested many brands. Some brands are Barilla, Rummo, and Panzani. It tested normal pasta. It also tested whole wheat pasta. It tested gluten-free pasta too.
Most of the pasta had high levels of cadmium. The study says this is a contamination problem. Cadmium can come from soil or water. Wheat plants can take in cadmium.
Doctors say too much cadmium is not safe. It can hurt the body over time. People eat pasta very often. So small amounts of cadmium can add up.
The study wants people to know about this problem. It also wants companies to check their pasta more. People can still eat pasta, but the study says food safety needs more attention.
Vocabulary15 words
- cadmium
- a metal that can be bad for the body
- metal
- a hard material like iron
- whole wheat
- grain with all its parts, not white flour
- gluten-free
- food without gluten, a protein in wheat
- contamination
- when something bad gets into food
- study
- careful research to learn facts
- brand
- the name of a company's product
- health
- how well your body works
- safe
- not dangerous
- soil
- the ground where plants grow
- wheat
- a grain used to make pasta and bread
- level
- how much of something there is
- test
- to check something carefully
- food safety
- keeping food clean and healthy
- company
- a business that makes or sells things
Quiz
Answer key
1. 36 2. Cadmium 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A new study looked at pasta. It tested 36 kinds of spaghetti and _____. The study found cadmium in _____% of them. Cadmium is a _____. It can be bad for health.
The study tested many brands. Some brands are Barilla, Rummo, and _____. It tested normal pasta. It also tested _____ pasta. It tested _____ pasta too.
Most of the pasta had high levels of cadmium. The study says this is a _____ problem. Cadmium can come from _____ or water. Wheat plants can take in cadmium.
Doctors say too much cadmium is not _____. It can hurt the body over time. People eat pasta very often. So small amounts of cadmium can add up.