Question from Janis
Last year I purchased hand made, lead-free pottery dishes in a nearby city. This is an improvement over some pretty, glazed porcelain-type dishes I bought at Pier 1 Imports, which I threw away after they deteriorated and I got to thinking…this can’t be good! Now I’m wondering, what about the colors and finish used in the pottery? The pottery dishes I bought were both expensive and durable, oven-proof and microwave safe. They are works of art. But are they safe? I don’t know much about pottery, and was wondering what you knew about it.
Debra’s Answer
This seems to be a popular question at the moment, as I’ve received several inqueries about this in the past few weeks.
First, here are some posts where I’ve already discussed lead in dinnerware and glassware:
* Q&A: Lead in Glassware talks about choosing glassware and has some links to websites that tell about various sources of lead
* Q&A: Safe Dinnerware has a link to a list of low-lead china patterns (from 2001) and an excellent article from Environmental Defense about lead in china dishes.
Now, here’s some new info.
I received a question specifically about the possibility of lead in mugs from Starbucks. Because these aren’t “china”, and they are made in China. Lead in pottery is an old issue that has been well-publicized and I think most conscious companies are aware of it.
