Here’s the general introduction I provide on a lot of my posts, for those who may be new to my work (or have possibly “stumbled upon” my work – while just casually browsing, or conducting more serious research):
Tamara Rubin is a Federal-award-winning independent advocate for consumer goods safety and childhood Lead-poisoning prevention. 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 XRF testing (a scientific method used by the Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for metallic toxicants (including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic). To read more about the testing methodology employed for the test results reported on this blog, please click this link.
Vintage Cheese Slicer XRF Test Results
Reading #1) Metal handle of cheese slicer
60-second reading
- Lead (Pb): 4,159 +/- 69 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): 75 +/- 5 ppm
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): non-detect
- Chromium (Cr): 503 +/- 93 ppm
- Manganese (Mn): 1,632 +/- 85 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 13,800 +/- 200 ppm
- Nickel (Ni): 1,881 +/- 50 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 29,900 +/- 400 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 61,400 +/- 700 ppm
- Tin (Sn): 849 +/- 17 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): 127 +/- 9 ppm
- Platinum (Pt): 97 +/- 64 ppm
- Aluminum Substrate: No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
For context: 90 ppm Lead (& up) is considered unsafe and illegal in the surface paint, glaze or coating of a newly manufactured item intended for use by children. Dishware and kitchenware items (like this) are not currently (and never were) regulated for total Lead content (as detectable with an XRF Instrument).
Reading #2) Metal roller of cheese slicer
30-second reading
- Lead (Pb): 208 +/- 15 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): 22 +/- 4 ppm
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): non-detect
- Chromium (Cr): 1,901 +/- 259 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 10,800 +/- 300 ppm
- Nickel (Ni): 206 +/- 56 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 1,634 +/- 71 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 722 +/- 37 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 1,431 +/- 711 ppm
- Nb: 350 +/- 16 ppm
- Indium (In): 15 +/- 6 ppm
- Tin (Sn): 54 +/- 7 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): 21 +/- 10 ppm
- Platinum (Pt): 249 +/- 38 ppm
- Aluminum Substrate: No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
Reading #3) Screw on roller of cheese slicer
30-second reading
- Lead (Pb): 3,666 +/- 176 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): 79 +/- 13 ppm
- Mercury (Hg): non-detect
- Barium (Ba): non-detect
- Chromium (Cr): 19,100 +/- 300 ppm
- Manganese (Mn): 4,252 +/- 255 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 551,500 +/- 13,000 ppm
- Nickel (Ni): 8,845 +/- 411 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 33,900 +/- 1,400 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 84,400 +/- 3,700 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 442 +/- 245 ppm
- Tin (Sn): 888 +/- 50 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): 175 +/- 28 ppm
- Barium (Ba): 225 +/- 65 ppm
- Aluminum Substrate: No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.
Test results reported here on the Lead Safe Mama website are science-based, replicable and accurate. Components are tested multiple times to confirm the test results before reporting them here. One full set of test results is reported for each component tested.
Please do not use any vintage kitchenware unless it has been independently tested and proven to be safe for use with food.
I will update with more info and related links shortly. In the meantime, for links to safer choices in cookware please click the “Shop Lead Safe Mama” graphic (pink!) – which is located at the top of each page of this website – to get to our new sister site which has lots of options for safer (and specifically Lead-free) choices for your home.
Thank you for being here and thank you for sharing this work. Please let me know if you have any questions and I will do do my best to answer them personally as soon as I have a moment – which (granted) may not be right away!
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
Owner
Lead Safe Mama, LLC
“Lead is considered unsafe and illegal in the surface paint, glaze or coating of a newly manufactured item intended for use by children”
I didn’t know that children are supposed to be playing with cheese slicers and kitchen cutting utensils.
I have this same cheese slicer for years and use it on a weekly basis. Nothing wrong with it. Stop with the lead paranoia. I also have asbestos in my attic and asbestos tape in my ductwork for 65 years. None of it is any danger. There is a big danger in schizophrenia.