In a message dated 97-05-12 12:49:46 EDT, Lisa Mo writes:

<< A young boy, doing a science
 project--can't remember the name or state--sent samples of canned food to a
 lab to test for lead, which found it in things like bamboo shoots from
China,
 and even a can from a western European country. >>

The kid was from San Francisco, California---the local papers carried a huge
article about this.  The boy was about 13 or 14.  He knew that the FDA had
banned lead solder from canned goods produced in the US, but wondered if
other countries were as careful.  He went to a local supermarket and
purchased imported canned foods, then tested the solder on each can with an
inexpensive testing kit he purchased at a hardware store.  If a can was
positive, he emptied the contents into a blender, then sent a sample of the
puree to a lab for lead testing.  All of the foods from lead soldered cans
turned out to have a high lead content.  The boy reported his findings to the
local offices of the FDA, won the science fair, and made the papers.

Rita