Corelle: Are your vintage dishes safe for use with food? Probably not.
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For those new to the Lead Safe Mama website:
Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her four sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005).
- Tamara owns and runs Lead Safe Mama, LLC — a unique community collaborative woman-owned small business for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety.
- Since 2009, Tamara has been conducting XRF testing (a scientific testing method) using the exact instrumentation employed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals — including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic).
- Since July of 2022, the work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC has been responsible for 5 product recalls (FDA and CPSC).
- All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable.
- Items that Lead Safe Mama, LLC reports on are tested multiple times to confirm the results published (for each component tested).
- Recent notable press… There has been too much to mention already in 2024! Please check out our press page to see some of the amazing coverage of our work so far this year!
For those of you looking for some safer (confirmed lead-free) dish options – here are a few (relatively inexpensive) choices to consider as well:
- Prices below are from April 4, 2024
- 18-piece service for 6: $53.57 (Made in USA) – https://amzn.to/43ieIYn
- 78-piece service for 12: $199.99 (Made in USA) – https://amzn.to/43aGEgV
- Set of 6 dinner plates: $38.74 (Made in France) – https://amzn.to/43aGUwp
- Set of 6 dinner plates: $17.49 (Made in Spain) – https://amzn.to/49pYhea
- You can also buy clear glass (unpainted, undecorated) dinner plates from the Dollar Store – and they are typically also Lead-free.
- The white glass plates from Target are also Lead-free (test results here)
- The white glass plates from Ikea are also Lead-free (test results here)
Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking one of Lead Safe Mama, LLC’s affiliate links, we may receive a percentage of what you spend (at no extra cost to you).
Are your vintage Corelle-brand dishes safe for use with food? Probably not.
Published: December 10, 2022
Updated: April 4, 2024
With so many new readers and friends following Lead Safe Mama, LLC’s social media channels, I wanted to make sure you saw our work around Vintage Corelle dishware.
First, there’s the Lead Safe Mama, LLC article that includes a copy of a warning (in writing) from a Corelle employee (in an email exchange with a Lead Safe Mama community member) about pre-2005 Corelle dishes possibly not being safe for use with food (many of the patterns we have tested — along with specific test results for each of those patterns are linked in this article) — read more here.
Then, following up on the above, there were several false/ misleading statements put out by the company (Corelle is now owned by Instant Brands) in the summer of 2022.
- TRUE: Corelle/Instant Brands finally (clearly, unequivocally) stated in writing in communications with concerned customers that they did use Lead in the painted decorative elements of their vintage dishes.
- The above statement is true (as evidenced by extensive independent scientific testing done over more than a decade by Lead Safe Mama, LLC — an internationally recognized woman-owned small business for consumer goods safety and childhood Lead poisoning prevention).
- FALSE: Corelle/Instant Brands said the amount of Lead used to decorate their vintage dishware was a “small amount” of Lead.
- The above statement is false. In fact, the amount of Lead found on the painted decorative elements of vintage Corelle dishes is a very large amount of Lead by today’s standards (given we now know there is no safe level of Lead exposure to humans and given the fact that the current limit for modern items manufactured for use by children is 90 ppm Lead in the paint, glaze, or coating of the item).
- FALSE: Corelle/Instant Brands asserted that their vintage dishes (within a certain date range) do not leach unsafe levels of Lead.
- The above statement is false. In fact — independent (third party) testing (including testing conducted by Lead Safe Mama, LLC) clearly demonstrates that the vintage Corelle dishes (with painted designs on the food surface or exterior of the dish, be it plate, bowl, cup, or mug) can leach unsafe levels of Lead (based on FDA standards and FDA-approved testing methodologies).
- There’s a full breakdown of the latest from Corelle at this link.
It just takes a microscopic amount of Lead to poison a human being (literally an invisible amount). All Federal agencies agree that there is no safe level of Lead exposure in human beings (and especially children). Persistent (chronic) low level Lead exposure can lead to a host of medical complications including increased risks for heart disease, kidney failure, memory impairments, arthritis, fertility and birth complications, and more. Please read and share this article with anyone you know who might still own (and use) vintage Corelle-brand dishware with decorative (colorful) printed patterns on the food surface of the dishes.
Thank you for taking the time.
Tamara Rubin
Owner — Lead Safe Mama, LLC
Mother of Lead-poisoned children
Owner — Lead Safe Mama, LLC
Mother of Lead-poisoned children
Some additional reading that may be of interest:
- Symptoms of Lead Exposure in Adults
- Symptoms of Lead Exposure in Children
- But is this dish really going to poison me?
- Natural & inexpensive (food-based) scientifically proven detox methods
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I received the Corelle ROSEMARY pattern set in 2000 as a gift. This pattern is not shown in this article’s pictures. Is it known how much lead is in the ROSEMARY pattern?
Thank you greatly.
I purchased Corelle Old Town from Corelle.com in 2018. I thought by ordering directly from Corelle, 13 years after their “2005 end of lead date”, I thought they would be lead free. Did I purchase old stock with potential lead or was this a new retro design?
It was actually Old Town Blue. I ordered open stock and it didn’t come in a box set. This comment is referring to a previous comment.
I have old Correlle from the 1980s in the Sandstone color, back when Correlle made both a white and plain beige Sandstone colors that had no patterns. I’ve looked and LOOKED and I can’t find any info on whether the Sandstone is safe since it has no pattern? Do you have any info?
I have Corelle dishes from 2021 with NO decoration — plain white. I have 2 questions:
1) I bought it because you said it was safe, with no decoration. Is that still true?
2) If I cut steak or something on white Corelle, and the glaze is cut, will I be opening up a source of contamination? Is it only safe if the glaze is not scratched?
I have been cutting things on a BROWN glass pie plate, which doesn’t seem to scratch, but now I read your warning about colored glass! Please let me know if I can use my Corelle dishes with confidence.
Thank you so much for all you have done for the rest of us!
is the farm fresh pattern safe?
I have 2 sets bought about 12 years apart.
Older ones likely have unsafe levels of Lead (or higher levels of heavy metals in general) depending on the years purchased. Which years did you purchase them?
T
I have a set of plain white Corelle from around 2010 and earlier. Are they safe because they have no decorations?
Yes
Are new plain white Corelle dishes safe?
What about pre 2005 plain white Corelle?
Thanks!
That should be Lead-free (both on the food surface and the printed back mark.) There are several examples tested and posted here on the website with test results. Here’s one example: https://tamararubin.com/2020/06/1980s-white-corelle-bowl-lead-free-cadmium-free-arsenic-free-mercury-free/
Tamara
I am loving my brand new set of white Corelle with the Bella Faenza textured edge. The stuff really is nearly indestructible! My Apricot Grove pattern (1998) that I’ve used for 26 years still looked new. But it went out in the trash last week. It is mind-blowing how simple dishes could contain something so deadly hidden in its pretty borders!
Thank You!
Have you ever tested the 1990’s dolphin pattern of Corelle? It was sold at Walmart and we still eat primarily off them, now after finding this site I’m worried.
I don’t think I have seen that pattern. If it is pre-2005 (and especially if there is any red in the design), I would personally not use it.
T
I think my pattern is vitrelle. That’s what is printed on the bottom. It’s a blue yellow and sage green pattern. The bowls only have blue cornflower on the outside. I believe I purchased then in 2008. Have you tested them by any chance. Not sure I trust the term mid 2000’s.
Purchased new in 2008 will have lower levels of Lead and Cadmium – Cadmium is generally found in yellows, oranges and reds.
T
What about the Ivy pattern? That does not show up on your list of patterns and it is a very common one.
If it is vintage it likely has an unsafe level of Lead on the food surface.
T
Hi there, wondering if my set of corelle thymless herb had lead? I don’t recall what year I purchased the set. Thank you