Lisa McCoy| Guest Columnist
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Do you shop for vintage dishes at yard sales, flea markets and antique stores? Have you inherited your grandmother’s favorite china? If so, there are a few things to know about safely using them in your kitchen.
Lead has long been used in ceramic ware, both in glazes and in decorations. It gives a smooth, glasslike finish that makes the colors more intense and allows decorative patterns to show through the glaze. Many old china dishes and mixing bowls can contain lead, especially if they are bright colors and very decorative. The concern is the lead can leach from the dishes and is highly toxic to humans and pets. If the dishes are cracked, chipped or the glaze is wearing off, they should not be used to prepare or serve food.
There are different ways that lead can leach from the pottery or china. Heat, whether it is hot food served in the dish or heating a plate in the microwave, can increase the risk of lead leaching into the food.
Also, high-acid foods served on these dishes may cause the lead to leach into the food. Some examples of high-acid foods include spaghetti sauce, salsa, soy sauce, orange juice, applesauce, coffee, tea, cola drinksand salad dressing.
Another safety tip is to not store food in the refrigerator on decorated plates. Doing so can impact the condition of the china, and significant temperature changes, such as cooling, may cause lead to leach into food.
Ingestion of lead, even small amounts at a time, causes it to accumulatein our bodies. Lead affects people of any age, but it is especially dangerous to children, pregnant women and unborn babies, causing profound and permanent adverse health effects, particularly affecting the development of the brain and nervous system.
There are some steps you can taketo decrease lead exposure when serving food. Determine if your dinnerware is safe to use. Since 1971, the Food and Drug Administration established and began enforcing limits on leachable lead in ceramics and tableware. If you purchased your dishes after that and they are made in the USA, they are safe to use. If you are using dinnerware manufactured prior to 1971 or manufactured in another country, be sure there are no cracks, chips or damage to the glaze finish where lead can leach out, and look for a label that says it is safe for food use.
You also can purchasehome lead test kits and test them yourself. Do not store food or drink in dishes that may contain lead. The longer the contact in the container, the more lead can be leached into the food. It is best to use glass or plastic containers designed for food storage and known to be safe. Do not put highly acidic food or drink in dishes that may contain lead and do not heat food or drink in these containers.
If your vintage or antique dishes are in good shape, use them occasionally for special meals but not your everyday dishes. If they have chips or cracks, use them for display purposes only so you can enjoy their beauty but keep everyone safe.
Lisa McCoy is a family and consumer-sciences educator with University of Maryland Extension in Washington County.
