How to Make Food-Safe Glazed & Painted Pottery

Food-safe glazes and paints can be found in stores.

Glazing and painting pottery can be a fun hobby, but certain precautions must be taken when creating pottery that will be used for eating and drinking. Many types of ceramic glazes and paints are dangerous to use on dishes and cups because harmful chemicals in these solutions can potentially leech into food or beverages, which would then be ingested by people using your dishes. This could lead to poisoning and may be fatal. As a precaution, pottery resource Ceramic Arts suggests avoiding crackle, matte or homemade glazes on your pottery that will be contact with food or drink.

Instructions

1. Choose pottery that is free of design-related cracks, accidental cracks, crevices and nooks, and rough areas. Pottery with these elements can be "difficult to thoroughly glaze," according to pottery resource Orton Ceramics. If you are making your own pottery by hand, do not etch artistic cracks, crevices or nooks into the surface of cups, plates, bowls or other wares meant for holding food or beverage.

2. Purchase food-safe ceramic paint and glaze to use on your pottery. Most ceramic paint and glaze manufacturers will note on labels whether these products are food-safe or not. If you cannot discern whether a specific paint or glaze is food-safe, contact the manufacturer. It is imperative to use food-safe glazes and paints since acids such as vinegar, tomato juice and orange juice can dissolve certain types of non-food-safe glazes. Food-safe glazes, on the other hand, have passed acid tests and are safe to use on pottery that is in contact with food and beverage. Avoid lead-free glazes unless they are noted as food-safe, and avoid any glazes that contain barium, chrome or lithium.

3. Coat your pottery completely with food-safe glaze, ensuring that the entire body is sealed in glaze. Visually inspect the surface area of your ware following your glazing to make sure it is thoroughly coated. If it is not, repeat until the surface is fully lacquered with glaze. Follow your glazing with your food-safe paint.

4. Fire your pottery properly. This includes bisque firing prior to applying your food-safe glaze and paint. If the bisque is underfired, "it may create problems with glaze and body fit that result in crazing of the glaze, or glaze surface defects such as pinholes," according to Orton Ceramics. These types of problems are unacceptable for pottery containing food and beverages. Following the glaze firing, the glaze must properly mature to meet food-safe standards.

Tips & Warnings

• Because pottery paints and glazes can vary, it's important to read all instructions prior to glazing and painting your wares.

References

• Digital Fire: Are Your Glazes Food-Safe or are They Leachable?
• Ceramic Arts: Making Food-Safe Glazes
• Orton Ceramic; Firing Tips: Making Food-Safe Ware