Xtrema, an important point: The clay substrate had only 4 metals. This means 10 metals were detected just in the glaze.

May 25, 2019

In discussing the issue of the Xtrema / Ceramcor pans with my husband tonight, I showed him my three sets of readings that I wrote up for my post from last August (August 2018 – the post with the full readings from all components on one example pan [all of which were consistent with the test results for the many other Xtrema pans I have tested].)

Because my posts are so information-dense (sorry about that!), we realized that an important point was likely buried too far down in that August post for people to easily understand the implications. 

Here’s the important point:

With this particular reading set I was able to test the substrate of the pan – due to the fact that the pan was in pieces, having broken in shipping. As a result, I took the opportunity with this pan to test the clay substrate (unglazed base) which had been exposed by the breakage; it was positive for only 4 metals (Lead, Zinc, Iron and Bismuth). This means the other ten metals detected are all only in the glaze.

In testing the bare (unglazed) ceramic side of the pan, I recorded the following set of XRF readings:

Cross Section of Pan (Substrate: beige/pink ceramic base from broken side of pan)

1. Lead (Pb): 25 +/- 12 ppm
2. Zinc (Zn): 80 +/- 21 ppm
3. Iron (Fe): 3,369 +/- 255 ppm
4. Bismuth (Bi): 153 +/- 17 ppm

This means that – by deductive reasoning – most of the metals detected in the three other areas tested (on the food surface, inside lid and bottom of the pan) are in fact additives in the glazes of the pan. In Consumer Goods mode, the XRF detected a total of fourteen metals on the glazed surfaces of the pan — 10 more than were found in the substrate.

1. Barium
2. Bismuth – in substrate – at similarly low levels to those found in the glaze. [153 ppm vs.314 ppm]
3. Cadmium
4. Chromium 
5. Cobalt
6. Iron – in substrate (at much lower levels than in the glaze) [3,369 ppm vs. 21,400 ppm]
7. Lead – in substrate (at much lower levels than in the glaze) [25 ppm vs. 7,258 ppm]
8. Manganese
9. Nickel
10. Selenium
11. Tin
12. Titanium
13. Vanadium
14. Zinc – in substrate (at much lower levels than in the glaze) [80 ppm vs. 5,263 ppm]

This finding contradicts Xtrema’s assertions that the metals are not additives to the product (several of their claims assert their products have no added metals — “just the metals ‘naturally found in the clay'”).

13 of the metals found in the glaze either were not present in the substrate, or had levels in the glaze that were significantly higher than the level found in the substrate. These facts taken together indicate they are most likely added constituents of the glaze – considering their presence at all, and their higher concentrations (especially for the metals that had at least one reading with concentrations of over 500 ppm).

These metals are commonly added to glazes as colorants or stabilizers for colorants. The Lead and Cadmium were found at higher concentrations in the white and red of the bottom label and the other metals were mostly found in higher concentrations in the black elements of the surface of the pans.

1. Barium – over 500 ppm
2. Bismuth – trace – not likely an additive
3. Cadmium – over 500 ppm
4. Chromium – over 500 ppm
5. Cobalt – over 500 ppm
6. Iron – over 500 ppm
7. Lead – over 500 ppm
8. Manganese – over 500 ppm
9. Nickel – over 500 ppm
10. Selenium – trace – not likely an additive
11. Tin – trace – not likely an additive
12. Titanium– over 500 ppm
13. Vanadium – over 500 ppm
14. Zinc – over 500 ppm

To recap (the 8/2018 post):
The glazed sections of the pans had the following readings:

Interior (food surface) of the pan:

1. Lead (Pb): 74 +/- 15 ppm
2. Barium (Ba): 597 +/- 55 ppm
3. Chromium (Cr): 12,900 +/- 800 ppm
4. Zinc (Zn): 4,879 +/- 184 ppm
5. Nickel (Ni): 2,417 +/- 163 ppm
6. Iron (Fe): 19,100 +/- 700 ppm
7. Bismuth (Bi): 106 +/- 18 ppm
8. Cobalt (Co): 9,376 +/- 391 ppm
9. Manganese (Mn): 1,466 +/- 317 ppm

Interior (food surface) of lid:

1. Lead (Pb): 120 +/- 18 ppm
2. Barium (Ba): 453 +/- 55 ppm
3. Chromium (Cr): 9,744 +/- 419 ppm
4. Zinc (Zn): 4,869 +/- 188 ppm
5. Nickel (Ni): 2,326 +/- 165 ppm
6. Iron (Fe): 21,400 +/- 700 ppm
7. Bismuth (Bi): 136 +/- 20 ppm
8. Vanadium (V): 1,069 +/- 144 ppm
9. Titanium (Ti): 2161 +/- 236 ppm
10. Cobalt (Co): 9,506 +/- 405 ppm
11. Manganese (Mn): 1,012 +/- 321 ppm

Center of Bottom of Pan :

1. Lead (Pb): 7,258 +/- 201 ppm
2. Cadmium (Cd): 567 +/- 28 ppm
3. Barium (Ba): 688 +/- 67 ppm
4. Selinium (Se): 358 +/- 35 ppm
5. Tin (Sn): 214-+/- 21 ppm
6. Zinc (Zn): 5,263 +/- 206 ppm
7. Nickel (Ni): 776 +/- 111
8. Iron (Fe): 6,036 +/- 374
9. Bismuth (Bi): 314 +/- 39
10. Vanadium (V): 9,169 +/- 636
11. Titanium (Ti): 1,773 +/- 351
12. Cobalt (Co): 3,784 +/- 251
13. Manganese (Mn): 957 +/- 386

Continue reading below the image.

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For Context: My original posts with my findings of metals in Xtrema products:

• Here is the original post about these Ceramcor pans having Lead from June 9, 2017 – there are more than 140 comments and it is quite entertaining so you might like to sit down in a cozy spot with a glass of wine to read that one.
• Here’s a follow up post from August 2018 where I shared the full metals breakdown for these Xtrema Ceramcor Mercola pots and pans.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions. 

Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts.

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama