Introduction (for those new to this website):
Tamara Rubin is a federal-award-winning independent advocate for consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children, her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005. Since 2009 Tamara has been using XRF testing (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals), including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic. All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Items are tested multiple times, to confirm the test results for each component tested. Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February of 2023.
Corelle cream-colored vintage (c. 1980-1990s) glass plate with fruit pattern:
As high as 14,900 ppm Lead on the decorative pattern when tested with an XRF.
60-second tests (multiple tests done to confirm the levels present).
Red and Blue Striped Trim of Dish:
- Lead (Pb): 14,900 +/- 400 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): 327 +/- 20 ppm
- Barium (Ba): 153 +/- 61 ppm
- Selenium (Se): 148 +/- 30 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 1,967 +/- 105 ppm
- Nickel (Ni): 184 +/- 82 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 393 +/- 141 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 889 +/- 83 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 3,875 +/- 220 ppm
- Zirconium (Zr): 2,625 +/- 85 ppm
- Platinum (Pt): 242 +/- 99 ppm
- Cobalt (Co): 2,277 +/- 183 ppm
- Metals not detected are not listed
For context: the amount of Lead considered unsafe in an item manufactured today and intended for use by children is anything 90 ppm Lead (or higher) in the paint, glaze, or coating. Cadmium is considered illegal in Denmark if levels exceed 75 ppm and illegal in Washington State if levels exceed 40 ppm. There is no federal total content limit for Cadmium in the United States. Cadmium is a known carcinogen and, in my opinion (along with Lead), should not be on our dishware, especially not on the food-contact surfaces of items generally perceived to be for everyday use.
Continue reading below the image.
Blueberries:
- Lead (Pb): 3,593 +/- 106 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): 37 +/- 9 ppm
- Chromium (Cr): 272 +/- 97
- Zinc (Zn): 294 +/- 38 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 1,004 +/- 168 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 633 +/- 65 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 2,827 +/- 168 ppm
- Zirconium (Zr): 1,814 +/- 55 ppm
- Cobalt (Co): 2,750 +/- 1,197 ppm
- Metals not detected are not listed
Red Berries:
- Lead (Pb): 3,528 +/- 102 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): 100 +/- 10 ppm
- Selenium (Se): 83 +/- 17 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 225 +/- 33 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 374 +/- 130 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 546 +/- 60 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 4,041 +/- 207 ppm
- Zirconium (Zr): 1,718 +/- 51 ppm
- Metals not detected are not listed
Peaches:
- Lead (Pb): 1,206 +/- 50 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): 19 +/- 7 ppm
- Chromium (Cr): 272 +/- 97
- Zinc (Zn): 112 +/- 25 ppm
- Nickel (Ni): 169 +/- 67 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 464 +/- 135 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 233 +/- 38 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 1,687 +/- 109 ppm
- Zirconium (Zr): 1,497 +/- 45 ppm
- Metals not detected are not listed
Plain unpainted center of cream glass plate:
- Iron (Fe): 312 +/- 126 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 88 +/- 24 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 115 +/- 30 ppm
- Zirconium (Zr): 1,500 +/- 45 ppm
- Metals not detected are not listed
Takeaway: I would not personally ever eat off of this plate. New plain white Corelle plates are both inexpensive and Lead-free. Here’s my Amazon* affiliate link to my favorite Lead-free new Corelle dishes. (You may be able to get these cheaper at Target!)
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you for reading and for sharing these articles. To see more vintage Corelle patterns we have tested, click here.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
*Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on one of the links here on the website, I may receive a small percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you.
Hello,
I have never heard of lead being in dishware, but came across your blog after a friend posted on FB.
I have this set of dishes, but we bought them around 2000. I notice you date this through 1990. Should I consider mine suspect? Looks like we didn’t make the mid-2000s cut-off…? Thanks!
Also wondering this. My mother has these plates but got them in the early 2000’s, I believe. Thank you!
Wow , I have been using my set for 25 years. The one with the fruit. I use them to today. What now???? This is not good. What is being done about this???
Same here. Still using them. The cream, fruit ones and the green flowered ones. What do we do with them?
This pattern is called Abundance.
We also got ours close to the year 2000. I never saw this pattern in the 1980s.
We used this set as far back as I can remember and I’m 43 so it’s been around for a while.
We received a 8 setting set of these dishes in 1986 as a wedding gift. We got married in 84 in Denmark we came back to the states and had a church wedding so we could include our stateside friends and family . And have been eating off of them for the last 36 years. Why didn’t Corelle recall these dishes and all others? What a horrible thing to do by not notifying customers!
I have this whole 12 piece set with cookie jar gravy dish they whole set . Mine is from the 80s what do I do..should I sell them back to corelle or get rid of somehow..they was not cheap?
You can ask Corelle for a refund. They likely won’t give you one – but the more of us who ask, the more likely they will make some change / take action (responsible action) in relation to their vintage products. Read this post for context:
https://tamararubin.com/2019/12/what-should-i-do-with-my-lead-contaminated-dishes-to-toss-or-not-to-toss/
Tamara
We purchased a set of the fruit pattern in 1985. Basically, have used them every single day since. Used them today. I will be contacting Corelli to see what we are do.
We bought this Corelle pattern in 2008. QUESTION: on the back of each dish, it says “Corelle Vitrelle”, so even though the pattern is from 1980s-1990s, are we to assume that since it was MANUFACTURED in 2008 (after mid-2000s when Corelle became lead-safe, as opposed to lead-free) are we to assume that this pattern is UNSAFE? I am very confused. I thank you for all this great information!
I really don’t know. Since none of these are marked with the year of manufacture it is nearly impossible to tell when they ACTUALLY stopped using high levels of Lead. This is why I don’t recommend using ANY of their painted designs.
Tamara
Thank you SO much Tamara! I’ve emailed Corelle to see how they respond. In the meantime, you probably already saw this, but just in case, this blogger claims that Corelle Vitrelle is “lead safe” but not necessarily “lead free” so concurs it’s best to purchase truly lead free dishes: https://thegoodlifedesigns.com/safest-dishes-to-use/#:~:text=Vitrelle%20makes%20the%20product%20highly,heavy%20metals%2C%20reducing%20their%20release.
Does this include bowls in these sets as well? They just have a line across the top.
I’m wondering that myself. Are my teapot and mixing Bowls safe? Tea cups?
If the lead and cadmium is in the colored design part, then the teapot and mixing bowls should be ok, because the tea or food wouldn’t touch the outside where the design is. I’m not sure about the cups, because your lips touch the outside of the cup a little bit. My kids and I used this pattern their entire childhood, then I sent the dishes with them to college.
Does expouser to metals disapate after many years of washes ?
My mom has a whole set of these with several casserole dishes and serving platters, she bought most of the pieces new around 2001-2004. The color does come off the fruit very easily.
Now really confused about whether to eat off these pieces or not! Is there a way that Jane Doe can find out (inexpensively) if her dishware is unsafe for use?
I have my mother’s set of a blueberry plates after she died and have been eating off them regularly for at least 10 years. Should my family be tested for lead poisoning? Is the government investigating because I sure would like to contact an agency? Please provide a link to contact Correlle.
I got these dishes as a wedding gift in 1993. I bought the canister set, a water pitcher, the sugar and creamer, salt and pepper shaker, the hot plates with wooden bottoms the spoon rest for stove top and think i also had a clock (which may not have been made by corelle).
I no longer have these items but, have pictures of them in my home because my kids were raised on these since 1994 when I had my daughter as well as her brother which was born in 2001.
So you are now coming out years later saying my kids where fed off of lead to discard or use them as decoration plates? How about you refund me all the money I spent even back then because just the set of 4 Corelle dishes in this pattern was $45 and I had 2 sets along with many matching pieces.
@Corelle.com
I too am concerned. My family has used these dishes every day since January of 1992. How do I find out more?
I’ve had the fruit print dishes and used them for years.
I have 2 sets of the fruit, berries and leaves on them, do I just throw them away after paying for them . I bought them a long time ago, I really like them because they are light weight. We have been eating on them for years. Do we get replacement sets free? I bought 2 sets here now and still eating of them. My e-mail is ***, please let me know what to do. Thank You
I have the large serving bowls… no paint on them. Are they safe to use? Just beige in color..
I have 2 sets of the abundance! What is a person suppose to do? We have used them for as many years as I can remember! I have the matching serving bowls. I love the light weight feature and that’s why that’s all we use! Who do we contact about this?
Hi Kathy- I think the more people who contact Corelle to complain, the quicker we will see action. I will also put together a petition and share it on this website now that the interest in the concern has gained some traction.
Here’s my post where I discuss what can be done (in general, about toxic items):
https://tamararubin.com/2019/12/what-should-i-do-with-my-lead-contaminated-dishes-to-toss-or-not-to-toss/
Tamara
Corelle seems to have no interest in addressing the issue. Here is an email response I received from them today:
Hello Steve,
Thank you for being a customer. 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 lead 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. Given the recent demand for use of vintage products every day, we are further investigating pre-2000 Corelle products to confirm they comply with today’s safety standards – and whether it’s okay to use pre-2000 product as everyday dinnerware.
Whatever way you choose to enjoy your Corelle products, either decoratively or at your table every day, we hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Sincerely,
Instant Brands Consumer Care
Thank you Steve. Yes – another reader shared this same response with me as well (earlier this week). I am going to publish a post that dissects this bullshit line by line (excuse my French!) So much #Greenwashing doublespeak in this!… With one little gem of “hope” = the word “investigating”!
More soon!
T
I HAVE 2 SETS AND BEEN USING THEM FOR YEARS, ARE THEY SAFE TO USE? SHOULD WE GET A REBATE OR NEW SETS OF SAFE DISHES? I HAVE NOT HEARD ABOUT THIS ON THE NEWS OR NEWSPAPER HERE IN NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA.
I would not consider these safe to use when evaluating them using modern standards. It is cheaper to buy a Lead-free set of new dishes than the cost of testing dishes like this to determine how much they are leaching into your food (if at all.) New dishes can be found for $1 or $2 each at Target, Walmart and Ikea. You can also look up “Lead Free Dishes” here on the site to find lots of other examples.
Here’s a post listing many choices and examples of dishes that are likely to be Lead-free:
https://shopleadsafemama.com/2021/05/lead-free-dishes/
Here’s an article discussing many of the popular brands today and whether or not they are likely to be lead-free:
https://tamararubin.com/2019/12/asktamara-which-dishes-are-lead-free/
Tamara
Corelle states that all of their products met the safety standards in place at the time they were made. Obviously, over time, standards changed and Corelle knowingly made adjustments necessary in order to comply with these changes. However, why did they fail to inform the public that older pieces then fell into the “unsafe” category and should no longer be used? The answer is GREED! I currently own two sets of the Corelle Fruit Pattern dishes. Not only did I feed my family off these plates for over 26 years, I was horrified to see the Heritage Blue Pattern listed as well. Heritage Blue was the pattern my mother purchased when Corelleware first came out. Now Corelle suggests I use these
“ highly desirable” collector’s pieces in my home as decorative pieces! Why would I? Perhaps to remind myself every day of the risk that Company took with the health of 2 generations of my family? Disgusting!!
Thank you for commenting. I really appreciate that you took the time. I think everyone who really understands this (as you do!) is similarly outraged.
Tamara
Myself, wife, four kids, extended family and guests have been uning the full set of these plates for over 40 years; not one of us is sick and displaying no health issues whatsoever.
I also have abundance set of corelle. Have been using them for years. It really bothers me that it has taken so long to hear about this. I have noticed that my pattern has changed colors, Started noticing it this year. Pattern is much lighter and I had collected most of the extra pieces. Corelle have the guts to be honest with us. I am not going to use anymore until I hear from them. Very upset with this news.
Thank you for taking the time to comment – Brenda… I really appreciate it!
– Tamara
I didn’t know anything about this until I tried to sell my set of Abundance Corelle dishes online and someone questioned their safety. Like.others who posted here, I used my Corelle dishes for years while raising my children. This blatant poisoning smacks of big companies like Dupont trying to cover up their chemical mishandling of cookware. It really makes you question your safety with everyday products. Take a lesson from the Europeans who question everything.
I would like see aclass action law suit against Corelle and its associates.
We are currently using one of this set. Since I need to change it, I writed to Corelle. Will see what they will say. Anyway, thank you for this information.
We have the white with the small green floral design from 1972 and the Abundance from the ‘80’s. Use them everyday. I see most of these comments are from ‘22. Have there been any new developments regarding this situation?Can’t believe this company knew this and didn’t let the public know.
I just reached out to Corelle. We’ll see what they say.
My husband wants to know if we send them back to Corelle will they give us money back?
I don’t believe so – their official statement on the issues is denying responsibility.
Tamara
I raised my children eating off these dishes as well. We still use the platter and serving bowl. Denise, I’d be interested in any restitution that Corelle offers those who still have the set.
I have the bowls and cassarole dishes that goes to the Abundance pattern that you have pictured here. It has a little different composition. Does it have lead also? The pattern is only on the outside where food does not touch.
Yes – they also have unsafe levels of Lead. Here’s an article discussing the concern that “only on the outside” is still unacceptable:
https://tamararubin.com/2020/07/if-the-lead-is-only-on-the-outside-of-my-dish-measuring-cup-mixing-bowl-etc-why-does-it-matter-that-it-has-lead/
Tamara
Thank you.