Does Celtic Salt Have Lead Like Lawsuit Claims?

Celtic salt — which is sometimes also called gray salt or sel gris due to its unusual gray color — is supposed to be a delicacy that is created when the water pulled from the coastline of northwestern France has evaporated, leaving the mineral behind. Everyone from home chefs to wellness enthusiasts sing the praises of this salt thanks to its purported nutritional content, making it a go-to for a lot of people.

However, some people believe that the Celtic Sea Salt manufactured by one company actually contains lead and other harmful heavy metals, which has prompted a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer.

Keep reading to learn more about the lawsuit, including some of the other ingredients that may be lurking in the salt.

According to a PDF that claims to list the ingredients found in Selina Naturally Celtic Sea Salt, the product does contain detectible levels of lead and other heavy metals like Uranium, and Arsenic.

The paperwork contains a blurb about the findings, especially as they relate to the more concerning ingredients, noting that these materials are found in plenty of things that consumers use every day.

That, combined with the levels of the metals found in the salt — which the company says are found in levels that are under or within guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) — should not prevent customers from continuing to use the product, according to the statement.

The company even uses lead as an example, noting that the WHO lists the Lead Codex limit at .000200 percent while the levels of lead found in the Celtic Sea Salt are present at .000076 percent.

"Lead is present in trace amounts in virtually all sea salts because it is such a pervasive element in our world today. Lead is also present in things we come into contact with virtually every day," the company's statement continues. "Environmental sources of lead include paint, water distribution systems, gasoline, certain types of tableware, ceramics, pottery, glassware and foods grown in contaminated soils (lead has been used in insecticides).

The big question, then, becomes why would so many people join together to sue the company if its internal reporting shows that the lead levels are within "safe" limits defined by WHO? According to the Class Action website, it has to do with the fact that the salt was advertised as being both healthy and high quality, which customers claim is not the case since the salt has been proven to contain heavy metals.

Additionally, the 33-page lawsuit claims that despite the statement on the website, there are no levels of lead that are considered safe, and that contact with even trace amounts of lead can cause many adverse health effects, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, kidney damage and more.

As such, those involved in the suit are asking for financial compensation, which they say should include (but not be limited to) the legal costs associated with the case, pre- and post-judgement interest on any amount awarded to the plaintiffs, and restitution when it comes to any injuries or duress caused by using the product.

The suit was filed in California state on Feb. 11, 2025, and as of the time of publication, there were no updates on the status of this case.