Nutrition education lunch boxes tainted

More than 50,000 lunch boxes given out by California as part of its nutrition education effort may contain elevated levels of lead and the public should stop using them, officials said Thursday.

The California Department of Public Health said testing found increased lead levels in three lunch boxes, which were made in China. They are green canvas and bear a logo that says, “Eat fruits & vegetables and be active.” Officials urged the public to stop using the roughly 56,000 boxes that were handed out at health fairs and other events.

The California health department ordered the green boxes in July 2006 and made them available to schools, local health departments and community groups starting in November.

No known cases of lead poisoning have resulted from use of the lunch boxes, officials said.