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Originally Posted by Nancy1999  This would be unglazed ceramic dishes, like those decorative dishes meant for display only that you find in Mexico. Acidic foods or juices will cause the lead to leach into the food. All dishes made for eating here have to be glazed.
I have heard that stainless steel can break down, especially if the bowls are exposed to sunlight and if the surface is broken, you should throw them out. |
No, they actually put lead in ceramic glaze to make it shinier. If you read the article I linked to, it's quite shocking:
"It is not uncommon for ceramic items used for cooking or simply for decoration to contain lead. In fact, lead has been used in the glazing process for ceramic dishes, bowls, pitchers, plates and other utensils for centuries. Typically, after being fired in a kiln, a piece of ceramic will appear smooth and shiny due to the lead in the glaze. However, in order to ensure that the items are safe for use, it is necessary to heat the ceramic at very high temperatures for a long enough period of time. If this step is not done properly, the ceramic could contain levels of lead that pose a threat to human health.
Based on his knowledge from the study that both Mexico and China are often major source of imports containing lead, O’Malley was curious to find out whether the ceramic items he observed in many Chinatown stores also contained lead.
The results of the study were shocking. O’Malley and his fellow researchers found that 22 out of the 87 items purchased from stores within the Chinatown district, approximately 25 percent, returned positive results for lead. In comparison, 5 out of the 49 items purchased in stores in neighborhoods outside of Chinatown, or 10 percent, contained lead."
There are standards for ceramics used in items for human food preparation, but lead shows up even where it's not supposed to. I don't even know whether there are lead standards for ceramics to be used for pet bowls.