Textbook corporate response from Corning 12/28/18 – to the findings of high levels of Lead in their vintage products.
Originally published: December 28, 2018, 4:34 p.m.
Format refreshed: Dec 28, 2019
In response to my original post referenced in the title above [Link HERE] today, Corningware shared the following response (when Sabrina – a friend of a friend on Facebook – shared the post and tagged them):
“We appreciate you [sic] concern for our products, Sabrina! We can assure you that older Corningware items would have met all of the safety requirements that applied at the time they were made.”
This response actually has me nearly literally rolling on the floor laughing my ass off.
THERE WERE NO RELEVANT SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR LEAD [especially total Lead content as detectable with an XRF instrument!] in 1972 AT THE TIME THESE WERE MADE!!!! There are “leach testing standards” (which may or may not have been in place depending on the year of manufacture of a vintage item), but the leach testing standards are not strict enough (they don’t take in to account what happens to a Leaded piece after years [or decades] of regular use and normal wear when used as intended) and, as I understand it, Leach testing standards have never applied to any decorative elements on the exterior of a piece of cookware or dishware. [You can read more about this concern here.]
This is ALWAYS how these companies (including Pyrex) respond!
It’s so incredibly textbook!
These companies REFUSE to take responsibility for their past actions and choose instead to use language that sidesteps the concerns in an effort to deny culpability through doublespeak that makes it seem like the allegations that there is Lead in their vintage products is somehow untrue.
I’m so excited to have actually captured (in screenshots) such a public and blatant display of this level of corporate bullshit.
Thanks to Sabrina (and Denise) for sharing my post (and all of the other people who have shared it too!)
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
Here it is as shown on the share thread:
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this is what I got about pyrex measuring cups today
I screen shot and can’t paste.
pyrex. :current standards California Proposition 65
Me: so your current painted markings are lead free. How far back do your new standards go?
pyrex: 1982
Pyrex: yes, they are a silicone based lead free paint
Are they telling the truth? partial truth? Are the new ones OK?
Tamara,
I replied to Flora’s post on her Facebook page the following:
Damn! Guess I’ve got to purge my cabinets. I grew up with that stuff. Flora, I’ve got the remainder of that set.The numbers seem to be wildly high, 26,500 ppm = 26.5 ppt, = 0.265 pph, = 0.265%. Do I have my math right?
If this relatively huge number is correct then the manufacturer seems to have added it purposefully and it is not just a random contamination? How many of these casseroles were sampled to check for variability in batches and so forth? A lot of these casseroles were produced. I’m waiting for the verdict on Corelle Ware.
Keep up the good work,
Richard
Thank you!
At this level the lead is definitely an additive and not a contaminant.
Are the contaminants in the design or the entire piece?
Hi Judy,
With these particular casserole dishes, the toxicants (Lead, cadmium, etc.) are generally found in the exterior decorative elements.
Tamara
Have you ever tested Pfaltzcraft products?
I have a pattern from the 1990’s that we use for every day. Thanks for all your hard work!
Hi Kim,
I have tested a few Pfaltzgraff pieces, but not many. You can see all of them here (click the link and scroll down): https://tamararubin.com/category/pfaltzgraff/
Thank you for commenting.
Tamara
Hi Tamara I appreciate what you do but I am extremely unhappy about your alarmist exclamations that say only partial truths as a bold warning sentence, and you were only talking about one little thing about the product, but one would never know that unless u clicked on the link and read the entire article. Some of your incomplete statement are so negative and alarming you feel you don’t need to read the rest of that article–case in point–i looked up my COVETED AND BELOVED MEANS THE WORLD TO ME SENTIMENTALY- Pfaltzgraf white tea rose plates it said”up to 4,560 ppm lead ! So I threw them all out also my large stack of pfaltsgraf rememberance. A week later, I read the whole article which said the plates were fine the lead was only on the blue roses on edge of plate nobody piles so much food on their plate that is on the edge and I didn’t even use them they were very very heartfelt display but I might have used the cake plates if my mom or sis came over for visit once or twice a year so your big mouth crazily INCOMPLETE statement made me throw out all my pfaltsgraf- you should know not everyone reads every article some just see a bold lead count and take it for that. You shouldn’t issue alarmist half-said statement bombs like that. Thanks for making me throw out all my pfaltsgraph, stupid, I should have known a good GERMAN company would never make anything bad. You are an asshole and I hate you forever fuck you.
Response posted on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_aOWqeRbyV/
I am curious about the spice of life pattern. Is the lead in the exterior decoration or in the interior white glaze? Either way, what are the health ramifications?
I have lots of French white Corning Ware that I have had for years. It is all white. Is that still safe to use?
I also have green glass plates that I love. Would glass not be a problem?
The all white is generally fine as long as it is glass Corning or Corelle products. Green glass can go either way. Here’s the “Green Glass” category on the blog: https://tamararubin.com/category/green-glass/
Tamara
How about Anchor Hocking glass storage containers? Did you ever test them?
Hi Patrice,
Thank you for commenting.
There are several posts discussing Anchor Hocking brand products here on the blog. Here’s a link to the “Anchor Hocking” category to start: https://tamararubin.com/category/anchor-hocking/
Please let me know if you have additional questions after checking out those posts. Thanks!
Tamara
Calloway pattern—is there lead concerns?
Can you provide a link with the image of the pattern, Mary? Thanks! – Tamara
Are the sandstone beige corelle dishes high in lead?
Hi, Tamara. Have you tested the new Corningware pyroceram casserole dishes yet? I’ve considered purchasing the plain white ones for quite some time, but I want to be sure that they’re safe before I dish out $100 for a set.
In case anyone else was wondering, I posted a question on the product page for the new Corningware pyroceram dishes asking if they contained any heavy metals since the vintage dishes have tested positive. They deleted my question with no explanation. I don’t know if these do contain any heavy metals or if they just don’t want people asking questions that might discourage customers from making a purchase, but it seems pretty shady to me.
Are the results that you post from testing the inside or outside of a bowl. Thank you.
I am very interested I have a lot of corning ware my eating dishes are all white.
But I have a lot of casseroles and kettles of their with blue cornflower print on outside. Is the glaze inside lead free? Please reply thank you.
What about English Meadow????
I have recently. purchased several white Mikasa coffee cups from Home Goods. They say Bone China. Do these contain lead? Patterns: Abby, Trellis.
Also I have Corelle all white pattern Enchantment luncheon plates. Does it contain lead. It is at least 10 years old.
Thank you so much for your time.
I am deciding between the Corningware fench white stoneware and the pyroceramic blue cornflower. Do any of othese test positive for heavy metals? Which bakeware is safer? I read a small amount of lead and cadmium is permitted in stoneware. Is this true? Thank you.
Hi Bonnie – the new blue cornflower ones will likely be Lead-free. The French white (new) can either be Lead-free or low lead (safe range). Vintage pieces in the French white can be high Lead.
T
The vintage French White is Pyroceram. The pieces are all white. Have you ever tested these pieces? I have many pieces from the 80’s and 90’s. Thanks!
The plain white glass (Pyroceram) pieces from this company tend to be Lead-free:
Here’s one example: https://tamararubin.com/2018/01/new_casserole/
Tamara
Hi Tamara!
Thank you for all of the wonderful work you do!
To “drill down” on the French White pyroceram questions- You advised Bonnie (question above) That vintage French White tested high for lead. You then answered Sandra who asked about her vintage French white that plain white glass ( pyroceram) tend to be lead free.
Because the answers above differ, I am unsure about vintage pyroceram in the French White pattern.
My question: Is the Vintage French White pyroceram from the 80’s and 90’s (an all white ribbed pattern with no colored designs and identical visually to the new casserole in your link above) low lead or lead free? Has this pyroceram tested positive for other harmful elements?
I love my old French White pyroceram, and have my fingers crossed that I can continue to use it.
BTW, thanks to you, I have switched over to Corelle Winter Frost dishware and love it! It looked beautiful on my holiday table. I just added color through linens and floral arrangements rather than through dishware.
Hi Tucker!
So the white CERAMIC pieces can be high lead and the white glass pieces are generally Lead-free as long as they have no decorative elements. Does that clarify things? They appear to have made these types of casserole dishes (with the ribbed sides) in both ceramic and glass (using identical or nearly identical molds.) To Note: I have tested some of the new (made in the past five years) ceramic ones that have been very high for lead actually (they make these soup mugs that resemble the casserole dishes and I always recommend avoiding those as well.)
Yay for your holiday table (that’s they way it’s supposed to be :-))
Tamara
I do have meadow pieces and a few of casserole pieces. I also inherited from my husband the plain white with 2 black lines around, don’t know if these are effected. So even bowls of meadow are no good? Corelle should make good on these pieces I have to throw away, at lest some discount!
I am reading all these comments and am so disappointed. My elderly parents have one of the most toxic lead dishes (gold leaf trim) and are now needing replacement.
My children also have dishes that need replacing. As do I.
It is unfortunate Corelle has no responsibility to assist their customers.
Hi! Idk how to send you a picture but I got these white stoptop safe white ceramic & glass pots when I was in London around 2014. Can’t remember what brand & says made in France. Looks like pyroceram cookware. All white. Classic round plain (no ribs, no design). Are these lead free? Pls. advise. Thanks!
P.S. And what year for the le creuset dutch oven to be lead free? I got a vintage one.
Have been looking through posts to see about the Beige or Sandstone Correlle and Comcor Corning. Can’t seem to find a definitive answer as to whether the beige is hopefully as inert as the plain white? Appreciate your work!!
I went to the Corelle web site, and found this (way down on their FAQ page). This does dodge the question by specifying “food contact surfaces,” but it also states that the color was “encapsulated.” To me that implies that they would be safe, unless the surface has been scraped (like some of the samples you show). But that is not what your tests show. And to me, a lot of the patterns appear to be painted/printed on the surface, not “encapsulated.”
Current Corelle FAQ response
https://www.corelle.com/support/frequently-asked-questions
We are very proud of our Corelle products, which are made of Vitrelle, a tempered glass consisting of glass laminated into three layers. Corelle was first introduced by Corning over 50 years ago and in 2000 started to be manufactured by the company known today as Instant Brands. All Corelle products meet the safety standards at the time of manufacturing.
As manufacturing and regulatory practices have evolved, so have Corelle products. We routinely test Corelle products for lea and cadmium contents at internationally recognized, third-party testing laboratories. This testing confirms that our products comply with applicable federal and state safety regulations.
Corelle dinnerware has come in many different patterns over the years since it was first introduced by Corning and continued with Instant Brands, and many vintage/legacy pieces have become cherished collectors’ items. Before 2000, and before tighter lead content safety regulations, a small amount of lead was an ingredient in the decorating process of many household products. Instant Brands has conducted additional testing with an outside laboratory to determine whether vintage Corelle products made before 2000 comply with today’s consumer [your] expectations as to safety and whether it’s ok to use them as everyday dinnerware. The Company selected multiple patterns of vintage Corelle products, dating back to 1978 for testing.
The food surface contact testing was designed to identify whether any small amount of lead that may have existed in pre-2000 manufactured Corelle product leaches from the product in amounts above today’s acceptable lead-safety regulations. The small amount of lead used in decorations pre-2000 was encapsulated in glass before and after the decoration was applied to product and fired to above 750C. The Corelle manufacturing process has always encapsulated decoration in glass, using extremely high processing temperatures to ensure the glass decorations are sealed, which prevents food contact and intentionally decreases the extent of any lead migration to food.
The testing confirms that the vintage products tested comply with current FDA lead-safety regulations – so feel free to use them for everyday dinnerware.
Hi Donna – check out my more recent post to their recent response – which includes two testing videos:
https://tamararubin.com/2022/08/breaking-news-august-2022-corelle-instant-brands-confirms-but-downplays-the-presence-of-leaded-glaze-used-for-the-food-surface-decorations-of-their-vintage-dishware/
Tamara
The paint is on the surface. It is not in any way encapsulated. It often also tests positive with a home test kit (which is an indicator that it is especially dangerous.)
T