Question from Lisa
Lisa’s Answer
I assume that the dishes are new. If so, Villeroy & Boch claims that their dishes use lead-free glaze. Even when manufacturers use lead free glazes, it’s possible that they could have traces of lead which can be a raw material contaminant. Typically white dishes are a safer bet. I believe the Manor pattern is white. You can read more here about lead in ceramic dishes.
The EU has been evaluating tightening their lead limits for ceramics but it hasn’t been updated since the 1980’s. I reached out to Villeroy & Boch to see if they meet or exceed California Proposition 65 limits but have not heard back. I recommend buying white ceramic dishwater that meets or exceeds Prop 65.
Tamara Rubin from leadsafemama.com tests products including dishes with XRF equipment to see if they contain lead. You could try that. The limitation of this is that it tells you if there is lead content but does not tell you if it leaches out of the product. You can use it as an extra precaution. The testing, however, is not done in a laboratory and only tests one sample. It can be a useful tool in some instances.
I researched this and looked around a lot and found that IKEA has lead-free white dishes. They are very inexpensive and have been working well for me.
Hi, Debra –
I have Fiesta dishes that I bought years ago because I heard they were toxic free. I think I learned this from you but now would like to know if Fiesta is
still as pure. Would you know?
Thank you for your time and expertise. I hope you’ve escaped the fires.
You can read this article on ceramic dishware. The concern about ceramic dishes is the possibility of lead and cadmium. Fiesta dishware more than meets California Proposition 65 requirements and is very transparent about it. You can read about it here. While they meet Prop 65 requirements for cadmium, some people choose to avoid red, yellow and oranges dishes as they are more likely to be made with glazes containing cadmium.