How Dangerous Is Lead in Crockpots & Dishes?
Lead, a substance infamous for its toxic effects, is present in many consumer products, including the glazes of food contact ceramics such as crockpots and dishes. Given the apparent hazard, what does this mean to your family? Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
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Symptoms of Lead Poisoning
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The Mayo Clinic reports that symptoms of lead poisoning vary by the victim's age. For newborns exposed while in the womb, symptoms may include delayed development or growth and learning difficulties. In children, lead poisoning causes irritability, loss of appetite and weight loss, fatigue, abdominal pain, vomiting, mental retardation, constipation, anemia and eventually death. In adults, lead poisoning is also known to cause weakness, pain in the extremities, headache, memory loss, mood disorders, reduced sperm count, miscarriages and premature birth.
Risky Ceramic Ware
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For ceramic products, vibrant colors, such as red or orange, are usually a warning sign that the product contains lead. The Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts advises that lead glazes are commonly used in earthenware and on older china and porcelain products.
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Who's Watching?
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In the United States, products coming into contact with food, including crockpots and dishes, are required to conform to limits on the amount of lead in the products. The administrating agency in the United States is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Real-life Effects
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In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) received a report from a hospital in New York City, where a child was hospitalized for lead poisoning. The CDC advises that the child was exposed to lead by a dinner plate found to release lead at more than nine times the safe limit established by the FDA.
How to Protect Your Family
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The Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts warns that ceramic products with fractured or corroded glazing is dangerous. This corrosion is identified by a easily identified chalky-grey residue on the product that persists after washing.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of psyberartist
