Grandparents, Please Reconsider Using Your Older Corelle Dishes With Your Grandchildren.

If you read the news, you will realize that many aspects of our life are not as they appear. For example, “retirement” might involve part-time work or consulting, which may not be as straightforward as it seems. Furthermore, your “healthy” breakfast cereal might have more sugar than a bowl of Lucky Charms (but with less fiber). It turns out that another ubiquitous object in our lives, your tableware, may also carry hidden hazards under its glittering surface. So, consider how using older Corelle dishes may pose a health danger to you and your family.

Why Is There Lead Or Cadmium In Dinnerware?

As you may be aware, the earth’s crust comprises several metals. Some are useful to Others are dangerous to people. Toxic metals such as lead and cadmium may be found in soil and dust worldwide.
Lead and cadmium are both used in the manufacture of dinnerware. Lead is used as a pigment in glazes to reinforce them, and cadmium gives dishes their red color. Due to health concerns, these substances have been phased out of many goods; nevertheless, they can still be found in older words such as Corelle ware.

Is it OK to use my Corelle dishes?

The good news is that establishing if your dishes are lead-free is straightforward.
The bad news is that you cannot know whether your Corelle dishes are lead-free. That’s right: the only way to determine if your dishes contain harmful lead levels is to submit them to a lab for analysis. And, while it may appear to be an inconvenience, the truth is that by taking this exam, you have nothing to lose—except perhaps something valuable: your health!
So, what are your alternatives? The most straightforward solution is to replace any potentially dangerous Corelle dinnerware with something else. If you want a more permanent solution, use a test kit available at local hardware stores.

How Do You Determine Whether Your Dishes Are Lead-Free?

There are various ways to ensure your Corelle dish is lead-free.
Use a lead test kit for dinnerware to determine whether your Corelle tableware contains lead. It cannot provide precise levels of lead or cadmium, but it can identify its presence.

Use only pure white Corelle tableware to avoid lead contamination. Decorate with gorgeous antique Corelle tableware or display it in your china cabinet.

How Might Lead Have Gotten Into My Meals Via My Dishes?

But how can lead and cadmium get into your food? It’s not like the dishes are on the attack. You can do a few things to guarantee your food does not taste like lead or cadmium.
Lead-containing dishes with more than 5% lead leak more metals into food when prepared at temperatures above 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Washing dishes with a lead-infused glaze at high temperatures (over 140 degrees Fahrenheit) can also leach more metals into your food.

What Dinnerware Is Free of Lead and Cadmium?

If you’re worried about the amount of lead in your dinnerware, there’s a simple way to find out. First and foremost, if it was created after 2005, it is almost certainly safe. Next, look for “Made in USA” on the bottom of your plate. You may be sure it was made with safe processes and materials if it says that.

Ceramics that have been correctly prepared should not leach lead. The lead, however, may seep out if the dishes are not sufficiently hardened and covered. Furthermore, before FDA rules, glazes had greater levels of information. Lead poisoning may harm your health, especially for youngsters and pregnant women.

Lead Safe Mama and Corelle

In December 2019, Lead Safe Mama, a non-profit organization that advocates for lead safety, published an article that raised concerns about the lead content in vintage Corelle dishes. Based on testing done by Lead Safe Mama, the report found that many vintage Corelle dishes contained high lead levels, including some that had lead levels above the legal limit for children’s products.

Corelle responded to the article by saying it was aware of the lead content in its vintage dishes and had stopped using lead in its decorative glazes in the mid-2000s. However, Corelle also said it did not believe that the lead content in its vintage dishes posed a health risk to adults or children who used them for occasional food service.

No Lead Level is Safe

Lead Safe Mama disagreed with Corelle’s risk assessment, saying that even low levels of lead exposure can harm children’s health. The organization urged Corelle to recall its vintage dishes and to issue a public warning about the lead content.

Corelle refused to recall its vintage dishes, but it issued a statement committing to the safety of its products and working to address the concerns raised by Lead Safe Mama.

The controversy over the lead in Corelle dishes has raised awareness about the dangers of lead exposure and the importance of testing for information in household items. It has also led to calls for stricter regulations on the use of lead in consumer products.

Here are some additional details about the story:

Lead is a toxic metal that can cause various health problems, including brain and nervous system damage, learning and behavior issues, and delayed growth.
Lead is particularly harmful to children, whose brains and nervous systems are still developing.
Lead can enter the body through skin contact, inhalation, or ingestion.
It can be found in various household items, including paint, dust, and ceramics.
Lead-containing materials can release lead into the air and dust when they are disturbed, such as during renovations or when old dishes are broken.
There is no safe level of lead exposure.
If you are concerned about lead in your home, you can have your home tested for information by a qualified professional.

If you have vintage Corelle dishes, you can test them for lead using a lead testing kit. Lead testing kits are available at hardware stores and online. If your words test positive for information, you should not use them for food service. You can either throw them away or donate them to a thrift store.

What other popular items have Lead Safe Mama warned about?

Lead Safe Mama is a non-profit organization that advocates for lead safety. Tamara Rubin, the founder of Lead Safe Mama, has tested various household items for lead content. She has found lead in a variety of popular items, including:

Vintage Tupperware
Vintage Pyrex dishes
Vintage Fiestaware dishes
Vintage Depression glass
Vintage children’s toys
Vintage Jewelry
Vintage furniture
Vintage paint
Modern children’s toys
Modern furniture
Modern paint

Children At Risk

Lead Safe Mama warns that even low levels of lead exposure can harm children’s health. She recommends that parents avoid using lead-containing items in their homes. If you have any concerns about lead in your home, you can have your home tested for information by a qualified professional.

Here are some additional tips for reducing lead exposure in your home:

Wash your hands often, especially before eating.
Wipe down surfaces with a damp cloth.
Keep children away from lead-containing materials.
If you are renovating your home, hire a qualified lead abatement contractor.
Test your home for lead by a qualified professional.

Lead poisoning is a severe problem that can have a lifelong impact on children’s health. By following these tips, you can help to protect your family from lead exposure.

Owners Of Vintage Corelle Dishes Are Increasingly Concerned About Lead Poisoning.

Lead contamination is a common problem in older Corelle dishes. In fact, any dinnerware made before the 1970s is likely to be made in China or another country where lead-painted tableware was widespread. Lead and cadmium were used as glazes on dinnerware because they were cheap, durable, and easy to apply. However, lead is a toxic metal that can cause a variety of health problems, including damage to the brain and nervous system. The FDA banned lead in all food packaging and utensils in 2010, but it is still used in some countries due to its low cost and availability. Safer alternatives, such as porcelain or ceramic ware with non-toxic glazes, are available.

If you wash dishes with food residue left on them or use detergents containing phosphates, which can leach out into meals when heated, lead may contaminate the food in your dishwasher (or by hand). You can check out non-dishware as a source of gifts. Pillow-shaped boxes are a popular paper box style; they are flat-packed before folding and take the shape of a pillow after assembly. Kraft Pillow Boxes

Corelle Files For Bankruptcy

On June 13, 2023, Instant Brands, the parent company of Corelle and Instant Pot, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company cited “global macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges” as the reason for the filing. Instant Brands employs over 2,400 people worldwide and has annual sales of $500 million to $1 billion.

In a statement, Instant Brands CEO Ben Gadbois said that the company is “committed to continuing to operate as usual” while it restructures. He added that Instant Brands has “a strong portfolio of brands and products” and is “confident in our ability to emerge from this process as a stronger company.”

The bankruptcy filing comes when the home goods industry faces several challenges, including rising inflation and supply chain disruptions. Instant Brands is not the only home goods company that has filed for bankruptcy recently. In March, Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; in April, Pier 1 Imports filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

The home goods sector and the overall economy currently grapple with difficulties, as highlighted by Instant Brands’ bankruptcy filing, whose ramifications are yet to be fully understood.