c. 1980s Corelle tulip pattern dish: 15,500 ppm Lead. Arsenic + Cadmium too. Which vintage Corelle pattern do you use?
Posted: Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Introduction: Tamara Rubin is an independent advocate for consumer goods safety, and she is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children. She began testing consumer goods for toxicants in 2009 and was the parent-advocate responsible for finding Lead in the popular fidget spinner toys in 2017. She uses high-precision XRF testing (a scientific method used by the Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for metallic contaminants – including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and Arsenic. [bio link]
Vintage (1980s) Corelle pattern dish with pink and gray tulip decorations:
The full XRF test results of the dish pictured are below (so please scroll down). Here are links to some additional reading that may be of interest, based on your interest in the test results of this item:
- Click here to see more vintage dishes that I have tested.
- Click here to see more posts I have written about Corelle dishes.
- Click here to read about why this much Lead in china can be a serious problem!
Stay Safe Out There!
A quick note from Tamara
Hey readers – I hope you are staying well out there with all that is going on in the world right now. I’m hanging out mostly at home with my children – and have been doing so for about 10 days now. I pulled them out of school over a week ago – just to be safe. Each of my three youngest sons have compromised immune systems (which manifests in different ways for each of them), due to having been Lead-poisoned as babies.
In between kid-wrangling I am working hard to publish literally HUNDREDS of new posts (with test results for various consumer goods I have tested over the past couple of years, but have not yet had a moment to report on!). These posts have created a backlog in my system for more than a year now – and it’s actually nice to have a *break* with some time to catch up! To make this happen as quickly as possible, I am (as with this post) simply posting the images and the test results – without a lot of additional information. [Do not worry — I will continue to update them with more information as I get caught up and begin to have the time!]
For those new to my website, please check out the menu in the header of the website for more information about how I test things (and my background, etc.) On each post you can also click on any of the keyword tabs at the top of the post to find more items in that category. Here’s the post discussing the type of testing I do, and the specific instrument I use to detect, analyze and confirm metals content, and ultimately produce the resultant data for each item reported here – link.
Please Note: Test results reported below are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Test results reported here are from tests that were done for a minimum of 60 seconds each, and repeated multiple times, to confirm the results. As with all the testing reported here on my blog, a freshly-calibrated high-precision XRF instrument testing in Consumer Goods mode was used to test the item pictured here.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts!
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
Test results for the Corelle dish pictured on this post:
On design – pink area:
- Lead (Pb): 11,000 +/- 400 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): 195 +/- 39 ppm
- Arsenic (As): 1,237 +/- 160 ppm
- Barium (Ba): 1,509 +/- 344 ppm
- Selenium (Se): 52 +/- 22 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 160 +/- 89 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 8,076 +/- 338 ppm
- Chlorine (Cl): 7,115 +/- 1,256
On design – gray area:
- Lead (Pb): 15,500 +/- 800 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): 153 +/- 65 ppm
- Arsenic (As): 1,342 +/- 327 ppm
- Barium (Ba): 1,772 +/- 580 ppm
- Chromium (Cr): 75 +/- 39 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 7,623 +/- 441 ppm
- Chlorine (Cl): 8,556 +/- 1,360
Logo on back of dish:
- Lead (Pb): 491 +/- 50 ppm
- Arsenic (As): 64 +/- 38 ppm
- Barium (Ba): 2,342 +/- 455 ppm
- Chromium (Cr): 352 +/- 55 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 270 +/- 54 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 666 +/- 138 ppm
Plain white of plate:
- Barium (Ba): 3,624 +/- 681 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 288 +/- 169 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 86 +/ 51 ppm
~ End of Post ~
Scroll down for additional photos of this item.
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Hi! I just came upon your blog because of a post by a friend to Face Book. I have been using Corelle forever. I’m still using the set that I bought in the early 1990’s because it lasts forever! When setting up housekeeping I’ve been known to recommend that you purchase two sets of a Corelle service and both a small and large cast iron frying pan because you will still have most of the set and definitely the frying pans when you are an old lady.
The pattern I have is Ivy, do you have any data on that pattern.
Thank you for bringing this issue to my attention and your willingness to share your research.
Be well,
Meron
I have Corelle Christmas dishes and am concerned wether or not they are safe to use.
Hi Sue,
Thank you for commenting!
I would need more information – like a picture (and a year made / year bought). Do you have any other information you can share? Can you describe the pattern to me? I expect they have made many different Christmas patterns over the years – although I am not familiar with all of their patterns.
Tamara
Three sets of the yellow or golden design of Corelle dishes were given as wedding gifts when we married in 1975. At that time, it was either the green or golden design that was available. Also, several blue cornflower casserole dishes were given as well. Oh yes, and mixing bowls by Pyrex were either bought or given to us. We have enjoyed using them and still use them as I had never heard of a problem with them. How do you go about testing dishes? Do you have a degree in chemicals? After reading your article, will you please share with me if the above mentioned dishes are safe to continue using? How does a person know if a given set of dishes is safe before purchasing them? Thank you!
Hello,
I was wondering if you have any data on the corelle “abundance” pattern? Does it have lead? I’m not sure about the year made.
Thank you!
The plain white bowls from before 2005, are those still safe to use? Thank you.
Hi there…I have Corelle dishes that are probably 30 years old or more, the pattern is wildflower. I’m thinking we should stop using them but wondered if you know if the paint contains lead or any other hazardous substance? Thank you.
Hi Kathy, can you please share a link here with an image of the pattern? Thank you!
Tamara
Hi Tamara…Here is a link to the pattern. I also have baking dishes with the pattern on the outside, wondering if I should ditch those too, even though the food doesn’t touch the pattern. Thanks https://www.microwavecookingforone.com/Corelle/CorelleWildflower.html
Hi Kathy,
Here you go: https://tamararubin.com/2019/02/corningware-3-quart-casserole-dish-with-floral-pattern-29900-ppm-lead-602-ppm-cadmium-for-context-90-ppm-lead-is-considered-unsafe-for-kids/
Tamara
Thank you so much, Tamara – even though that paint pattern is on the outside, I think it’s time to ditch those casserole dishes. Canadian Tire is having a sale on the white Corelle dishes so that’s what I’ll be using my Christmas money for – thank you for the info!
K! Here’s a post about the “only on the outside” consideration too:
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
Thanks, yes, I’m convinced, getting rid of all of them! Mine are just the pattern on the outside and it isn’t degrading, however, it is still potentially poison. Thank you again.
Welcome!
Hi Tamara! I happened upon your website after someone on a FB post warned of older Corelle possibly containing lead! I’ve had my set or parts of it since 1999! I have added single pieces over the years that were and still are available at Meijer/Walmart. Over 20 years later and I can still buy the same pattern! It’s Corelle Country Cottage. Have you tested this pattern?
Thank you so much for what you do! While scrolling through your pages I kept seeing dishes that I know family members have and still use. I’ll be forwarding this to them so they can make informed decisions too!
https://www.corelle.com/product/country-cottage-16-piece-dinnerware-set-service-4
I have Corelle Indian Summer. Is this lead free? Also, winterfrost white Corelle bowls purchased at Goodwill about 10 years ago. Are they safe to use? Thank you very much.
Hi Tamara!
I have had these dishes since I graduated high school in 2000. Do you know if this particular pattern contains lead or anything else that is not good? https://www.replacements.com/china-corning-rosemarie-corelle/c/16989
Thank you!
Hi Michelle,
Please check out this post:
https://tamararubin.com/2019/06/vintage-cream-corelle-plate-with-peach-tulip-buds-28500-ppm-lead-90-is-unsafe-for-kids-150-cadmium/
and this:
https://tamararubin.com/2019/06/vintage-cream-glass-corelle-plate-with-pastel-fruit-leaf-pattern-48800-ppm-lead-90-is-unsafe-for-kids-213-cadmium/
I have tested that pattern and it is leaded, but I don’t seem to have it up on the blog. The examples above are similar and likely similar test results.
Also for the future, here’s the video about how to search the blog: https://tamararubin.com/2020/12/how-to-use-the-lead-safe-mama-website-video/
Tamara
Thank you so much!
I was also shocked on the Tupperware items. My mom sold Tupperware back in the early 80’s and has most of the items in that catalog, which I then inherited. I contacted Tupperware to see if they would exchange the items and they said no. I signed your petition to get them to take accountability for it and posted the link to my FB profile as well. I hope that you get the signatures you need to alert the media and bring awareness to this issue. I stumbled upon your blog, because it was posted in one of my Norwex consultant groups I belong to.
Hi
Have you tested the Correlle Ivy pattern for lead? Thanks!
Greetings,
I have been using Corell dishes for many decades, all the Woodland design.
Have you tested some of those and come up with high results?
Thanks and blessings!
Jim
Hello, have you tested Corelle Provincial Blue? Or do you think the result would be the same as the other Corelle dishes with blue patterns?
Hi Tamara,
I have Corelle “Indian Summer” that I bought in the early 1980s. Do you know the PPM lead count of this pattern Should I stop using these dishes and get rid of them?
Thanks,
Bella
Since I grew up on Corelle white dishes green flowers. Then got married with my own dishes with the what you list as pink flower with grey but they are actually with a coral colored rose with green trim. I wonder what happen to the plate you have pictured and tested. What should I look for health concerns ?