Oregon state public health officials warned consumers Friday to avoid eating Mexican candies that contain chili powder, because the candies may be contaminated with lead.

Lead exposure can be particularly harmful to young children, infants and pregnant women by inhibiting brain development and causing learning disabilities, behavioral problems and a decline in IQ levels, according to Richard Leiker, manager of the Oregon Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.

Children are at particular risk because their neurological processes are still developing, he said.

The warning follows a recent, similar statement from the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA has not recalled any specific candies or food products, but simply warned the public of the potential risk.

The California Department of Health Services also issued a warning for people to avoid such candies.

Tests done by the Oregon State Laboratory discovered lead in Chaca-Chaca, an imported chili-based candy from Mexico. The candy tested was purchased at a store in the Portland area.

”We’re not aware of anyone being harmed,” Leiker said Friday. ”But we did test one of these candies and we did find (lead) here.”

Chaca-Chaca is a brownish-red, fruit pulp bar covered in salt and chili powder. The candy is individually wrapped and the package is decorated with a locomotive, according to the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS).

Tests revealed one piece of the candy contained about 5 micrograms of lead. The FDA advises that children under six should not consume more than 6 micrograms of lead per day.

Lead is not a food product but instead a contaminant found in some foods for various reasons. For example, tamarind, another popular Mexican candy, can become contaminated with lead if it’s sold in ”poorly made glazed ceramic vessels that could leak lead into the candy from the glaze,” according to the FDA.

An FDA spokeswoman said the administration did not know yet how the Chaca-Chaca candy had become contaminated with lead.

There are no warning signs of lead poisoning, and children may look and act healthy, according to DHS. State health officials said people who think that they or their children may have consumed Mexican candies with chili in them should contact their health care providers about getting a blood-lead level test.

Others should simply avoid eating such candies until further notice, Leiker said.

Oregon has about 150 reported cases of lead poisoning each year. Actual deaths from consuming lead are very rare, and no one has actually died from lead exposure in the state in at least 20 years, Leiker said.

The main source of lead poisoning is not food, but lead-based paint on the walls of older houses. Dust from the paint contains lead and children may inhale or ingest the dust without ever knowing, Leiker said.

One Deschutes County child was hospitalized last July for lead poisoning.

Kelly Kearsley can be reached at 541-383-0348 or at kkearsley@bendbulletin.com.