Lead in China Dishes: A Dish Buyer's Guide

Environmental Defense Fund

Posted: 01-Dec-1994; Updated: 05-Oct-2007


If you are buying new dishes, there is no reason to run any risk at all. Dishes with lead-free glazes and decorations are being made today by many companies, and many more are moving in that direction. Also, many patterns are so well made that they meet the strict California standards.

Ask Before You Buy

Ask the store manager if the dishes you want are lead-free or have been tested for lead leaching. If the manager doesn't know, have her ask the manufacturer. Ask if the company can guarantee that it meets the California warning standards -- in other words, can it be sold in California without a warning?

This is particularly important if you are buying china you hope to use every day, or over a lifetime. If the china has not been tested for lead leaching by the company, there is no reason for you to take an unknown risk.

Note: you may be told that the china you've asked about is "legal," or "meets federal standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration." This is not the same as meeting California standards. Federal standards are not as strict as California standards, and there's no reason not to take advantage of the most protective standard.

However, if you are considering tableware imported from China (and are not from California), the federal Food and Drug Administration has a helpful new information service. U.S. FDA and the Chinese government are working together to certify Chinese tableware manufacturers whose products meet U.S. federal lead standards. Consumers should look for stickers that show certification under this new program. To see examples of the stickers and learn more about this new labeling program, go to the Food and Drug Administration website.

Retailers and distributors should also look for these stickers on shipping materials to determine which of their products imported from China meet federal standards.

What Can You Be Sure Of?

Glass dishes have no glaze on them. Glass plates, cups, mugs, etc., without painted or decal-type decorations on their surface, are reliably lead-free. (NOTE: This is not true of leaded crystal, which is heavy and expensive and almost never used for ordinary plates, cups and mugs.)

Stoneware dishes -- which are fairly heavy and often have a low shine instead of a bright, full gloss like glazed china -- are normally coated with a material that contains no lead. Unless they have painted or decal-type decorations on the surface, stoneware pieces are almost as lead-free as glass.

Lead-free china -- which looks just like other china but is made with lead-free glazes and pigments -- is sold by some companies. Very low-lead china meets the strict California warning standards. The Shopper's Guide lists many brands and patterns that do so. Some national and regional retail chains now offer only china that meets the California standards for lead.

In many cases you can ask the manufacturers yourself about lead in their china. The companies listed below provided have phone numbers for information about lead levels in specific patterns.


Lead in China Dishes

From: http://www.edf.org/article.cfm?ContentID=957

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