Made in Spain - glazed ceramic garlic grater plate: 30,300 ppm Lead (90 is unsafe in items intended for children).

When tested with an XRF instrument this glazed ceramic “Made in Spain” garlic grating plate had the following readings:

Reading #1) On the green glazed section in the center of the plate (image above):

Lead (Pb): 24,400 +/- 700 ppm
Barium (Ba): 1,844 +/- 136 ppm
Chromium (Cr): 459 +/- 129 ppm
Antimony (Sb): 99 +/- 32 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 8669 +/- 350 ppm
Iron (Fe): 14,200 +/- 700 ppm
Vanadium (V): 1,861 +/- 132 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 5,528 +/- 313 ppm
Zirconium (Zr): 8,181 +/- 316 ppm

Reading #2) On the dark orange glazed section in the food surface of the plate (image above):

Lead (Pb): 30,300 +/- 900 ppm
Cadmium (Cd): 781 +/- 49 ppm
Barium (Ba): 1,922 +/- 146 ppm
Antimony (Sb): 104 +/- 36 ppm
Tin (Sn): 471 +/- 41 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 8,188 +/- 333 ppm
Copper (Cu): 143 +/- 57 ppm
Iron (Fe): 15,500 +/- 700 ppm
Vanadium (V): 1,972 +/- 143 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 6,152 +/- 349 ppm
Zirconium (Zr): 9,616 +/- 375 ppm

Continue reading below the image for additional test result sets and images.

Reading #3) On the cream-colored glaze on the back of the plate (image above):

Lead (Pb): 1,410 +/- 57 ppm
Barium (Ba): 940 +/- 94 ppm
Antimony (Sb): 84 +/- 19 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 6,940 +/- 241 ppm
Iron (Fe): 16,400 +/- 600 ppm
Vanadium (V): 2,212 +/- 127 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 6,498 +/- 299 ppm

Continue reading below the image for additional test result sets and images.

Reading #4) On the unglazed edge on the back of the plate (image above):

Lead (Pb): 4,700 +/- 132 ppm**
Barium (Ba): 867 +/- 64 ppm
Antimony (Sb): 41 +/- 19 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 4,217 +/- 168 ppm
Iron (Fe): 11,100 +/- 500 ppm
Vanadium (V): 1,356 +/- 96 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 5,069 +/- 250 ppm
Platinum (Pt): 160 +/- 75 ppm

** This is VERY unusual – for an unglazed substrate to test this high for Lead!

Continue reading below the image for additional test result sets and images.

Reading #5) The plastic stand for the plate (image above):

Lead (Pb): 23 +/- 4 ppm
Bromine (Br): 137 +/- 5 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 195 +/- 12 ppm
Iron (Fe): 441 +/- 32 ppm

Each test was done using a freshly-calibrated XRF instrument in “Consumer Goods” mode. Testing was repeated on each component to confirm the results. Testing time for each component was at least 60 seconds. Results are replicable, science-based, and accurate. Metals not listed in the above test results sets were not detected by the XRF when testing in Consumer Goods mode.

Is this much Lead and Cadmium a problem in a dish like this?

For a ceramic food use item like this to have such high Lead content is especially concerning, specifically because it is intended for use with garlic… Garlic has been well-studied, and is known to effectively bond to Lead [it has been used as an effective natural food-based Lead chelating agent in humans and other animals]. While this is purely speculative, I do suspect that, given the very high Lead content, combined with the well-studied and well-known properties of garlic, by using this ceramic dish as intended (to grate garlic), the user might actually be potentially significantly contaminating their garlic with every single use. Click here to see a Lead-safe “Made in the USA” (made in Oregon actually!) version of the same type of item!

The amount of Lead that is considered unsafe in an item intended for use by children is anything 90 ppm Lead or higher in the paint, glaze or coating of an item or anything 100 ppm or higher in the substrate. At over 30,000 ppm Lead this dish is VERY TOXIC – but because dishes are not regulated to the same strict standards used for children’s items it is not considered to be illegal at all. The Cadmium level is also very high (for context, in Denmark consumer goods are illegal if they have a total cadmium content greater than 75 ppm.) Cadmium is a known carcinogen – which means it has been studied and determined to cause cancer in humans. To read more about Cadmium standards, click here. It is my assertion that the levels of toxicants that are allowed in food-use items (like dishes and cookware), should be at least as strict as the limits for toxicants allowed in children’s items.

Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama