How disappointing. I enjoy chocolate.

I find it much more than disappointing. My lead and cadmium levels must be astronomical--a bar a week easily for 20 or 30 years.

Thanks for the heads up!

I followed the links on the CR site to the one about Costco chickens.

The last time I bought one of those it tasted and smelled of a horrid life and an awful death, full of salt, chemicals and all stuffed into an environmentally detremental plastic bubble.

I took that poor little thing out and buried it in the backyard.

Never again will I buy any of that kind of thing.

It is one thing to brine a piece of meat, but that bit of roasted death is just atrocious!

I only buy any kind of meat from special sources anymore. It cost more but better to have more quality than quantity.

Me too, Claudia. All the meat and poultry I buy are locally raised on pasture. Very expensive, so I don't eat a lot of either. I raise my own veggies, organically.

And I avoid added sugar, so all those years of high cacao chocolate to skip the sugar have, it appears, poisoned me.

Next visit to your primary care and blood work, get tested for lead levels. Will give you piece of mind and can be corrected. We all have a natural detox system with a varied diet. Lead is naturally occuring everywhere, even in organic soils. Certain vegetables seem to absorb lead more than others. Then other veg and foods help in the detox process.

I do love chocolate in a snack rotation but about once a month. Tazo brand the past few years and some Mexican chocolate in cooking but not that often.

Our proteins--meat, chicken/eggs, pork, are from a local farm share. I don't think that is a guarantee it is free from metals in feed or pasture raised feed or in milk/cheese.

Good grief, no expert here, but it is a concern. (Translates to a concern and understanding.)

We are tested every five years for the past twenty. As well as co-workers. Mostly envoronmental locations. Air quality. Surfaces. I cary test strip capsules in my work bag. --little glass things i snap and swab.

I also read that article. It was quite a surprise reading. I guess I'd be a bit more credulous if it were just some random article; but I do respect the expertese and testing of CR.

I guess it's a good thing I don't care much for dark chocolate.

Yes, it made me very sad to learn that. OTOH, I feel relieved that I haven't been eating very much, if any, chocolate anything for quite some time now. I had been thinking I should eat more, for the supposed benefits, and feeling a bit guilty for not doing so..

Also glad I prefer milk chocolate to dark these days.

I saw this a few days ago. Me and my mother are both chocoholics, and both of us prefer dark chocolate. I have a stash of Lindt 70% bars. (They are the ones that are made with cocoa that has NOT been processed with alkali. That process strips chocolate of most of its health benefits. A lot of dark chocolate IS processed with alkali, making it pointless, beyond the pure pleasure it brings)

That being said, I am still going to eat it. I love it. I have been eating it my whole life. And even though heavy metals sounds scary, honestly I am sure that there are much worse or scarier things in other stuff I eat. Look, I grow our veggies and herbs myself. I am working on growing all of our fruit. I buy eggs from my sister, who has a lot of healthy, happy, well loved chickens. I also buy other food she produces herself, so I know its pesticide free and minimally processed by someone who is CLEAN and HYGENIC. But the rest.....who knows? I would hate to see CR perform tests on other foods and uncover the horrors within. I hope the chocolate industry finds a way to remedy it. But until then, I am not willing to give up chocolate.

If it were so serious, surely it would be banned? It seems to be present in so many foods from potatoes to cereals....... I think you can worry a lot, or get on with it. I agree about testing to put your mind to rest.

If it were so serious, surely it would be banned?

Oh, my Islay, you have a much higher trust in someone's (the FDA's?) duty to protect the American public from dangers in their food than I do. What about the BPAs, the forever chemicals, the herbicides, etc?

Lead free Mama

Unfortunately, dangerous lead levels are in many things and a huge amount of dishes. I will not use anything with lead regularly.

Most people are indifferent though and I have been mocked for mentioning the lead in china. This is a very helpful site-wide and deep- but can take a while to find what you want.

I found out a couple of years ago (from a note on this site) that brown rice is high in arsenic. Not to get "political" or anything, but the level of life-altering or threatening chemicals we are blase about is seriously high. I always laugh when folks go on and on about "protecting life" but ignore so many of the ongoing threats. Death by a thousand cuts. We need a serious rethink on a lot of things, IMHO. Lots of signs that our food system is less than ideal as far as resilience. But carry on with the blah blah Elon Musk or whatever scandal of the day . . . I think the actual policies involved in this stuff bores people so that's why we get personality conflict based information now.

I've been aware of the arsenic and brown rice for a while and since going gluten free I've had to monitor not using gluten-free substitutes which are mostly rice flour. Also, I have read that California organic brown rice tends to be lowest in arsenic.

All rice, I can't edit on my phone.

"

• Oh, my Islay, you have a much higher trust in someone's (the FDA's?) duty to protect the American public from dangers in their food than I do. What about the BPAs, the forever chemicals, the herbicides, etc?

• Chocolate is sold and eaten worldwide!!!

The problem with testing for toxic chemicals, is that most of the tests are very expensive so there is no way the government or anyone else can cost-effectively test the majority of food we eat for pesticide residues and other toxic chemicals. The best they try to do is take sample tests that are the most likely to uncover a serious problem. But if you look into it, you will come to realize that the testing standards are lax and it is probably very likely that a lot of problems are falling through the cracks.

I knew about the dishes of course...I have none here, not tempted by all those pretty glazes and use only white porcelain - for everyday and more formal.

And, I knew about the rice....when DH loves rice but I try to limit it to maybe once a month.

I did not know about the chocolate. But whew, neither of us really eat it with any regularity. DH doesn't particularly care anything about chocolate, and I'm a lot more tempted by a savory snack than anything sweet. I think I ate a candy bar on Halloween when it was clear we were going to have candy left over. I was going to put some in Christmas stockings - maybe I won't ;)

Rhinking of all the Chinese and Indians and other nations that pretty well live on rice.....

Dark cocolate? What about milk chocolate? what about things like snickers and M and M's? Yes I know not as concentrated cocao but tending to be eaten in larger quantities.

I am 86 abd in posession of most of my facilities, I think I'll just keep on keepin' on....but never did like thatg audy brightly colored Mexican china, But I like wine out of lead crystal glasses.

Linda, the only time lead will leach into your wine ( or any liquor) is when you leave it sit in a lead crystal decanter for several days or weeks. So, we're both safe. 😁

To be perfectly honest, this is not something I pay a lot of attention to. First, I am not all that big on chocolate, especially dark chocolate, and consume very little of it. And from time to time, all manner of other common and usually popular food items hit the news for some health concern or another. And after a few weeks all the hoopla dies down or another study is released contradicting the first.

It seems that moderation is a wise path. Cut back on any questionable product if you consume it in quantity. But now in my mid 70's and with decent health, I'm not about to give up anything permanently that I have spent the last 7 decades consuming with no ill effect.

I do intend to be tested for lead in January. I'll report back.

From what I read, the problem seems to lie in the cacao being dried outdoors on the ground and acquiring the lead/cadmium that way. The CR report does point out that there are some products that have lower levels, showing it's possible for the contamination to be avoided with better practices.

Thanks for the link Bumblebeez, to the "Lead Free Mama." A great resource for identifying possible sources of HIGH lead in your home. One should not assume though, that just because a given utensil or set of dishes contains a high level of lead, that it is necessarily leaching out or getting into your food. Potentially it could, but there are also a lot of other variables in play, including the heat and acid levels of the food, and the wear and tear on the finish, etc., etc. I wouldn't go to an extreme but I would avoid the most easily avoidable practices that are likely to be the most risky. I still have Bubbie's old soup bowls, but I only use them very rarely to hold something like chips or nuts. Rarely because we don't hardly eat chips or nuts, let alone put them in bowls . . .

Luckily, I too am not a big chocolate lover. I eat it occasionally, in varied forms but hardly on a regular basis. Rice is another matter, and as far as I know, arsenic contamination is not something inherent in rice, rather it is a result of soil and water management practices. Actions have consequences . . . but I love rice too much to cut it out entirely due to a somewhat incalculable risk.

Same goes for me and fish that I know is probably less than stellar for toxics. I eat it occasionally as a treat. Shrimp is a prime example, but it's high in cholesterol too, so I eat it only for a special occasion meal. Usually with other things in pasta. Shrimp and white beans is my latest discovery . . . There are less environmentally damaging shrimping practices, but the shrimp supply and selection at my local grocery is limited at best, I rarely see any of the higher end shrimp types in the stores around here.

Thanks to Bumblebeez, I am finally going to get rid of our old, cracked stoneware cereal/soup bowls. I needed to replace them anyway, but this is giving me the impetus. I only kept them around because we like their size and shape . . .

Now I also know why I was not able to find a red soup/cereal bowl set to replace them . . . I wanted something bright for summer. Also I now know why melamine is not a good idea for soup or a coffee cup . . .

i tried to post a new thread, but it would not post.

does anyone have any info on Hull Brown Drip mugs/plates, if they contain lead??

i also have some McCoy Canyon Mesa pieces.

and of course Corelle/Pyrex bowls, refrigerator containers....

The site run by lead safe mama might be of help to you.

OP, i did check her site, no mention of Hull or McCoy. surprising since they were very prevalent in the 70-80's....

I thought she also sold test kits so people could do their own testing.

sprtphntc7a, the Hull drip ware is on that site, try here. I don't know if this link is clickable, but it's where I found it by typing "Hull pottery" in the search box.

https://tamararubin.com/?s=hull+pottery

Other than that it appears that my "daily" food is relatively safe with my Wexford Anchor Hocking Glasses, my FiestaWare, my AllClad stainless steel pans and my beloved Griswold cast iron. I'm afraid I can't say as much for my (fortunately seldom used) Thanksgiving plates and some of my old Pyrex casseroles. My mixing bowls are clear glass and my spoons wood, my most often used pans are stainless steel and cast iron and even my Christmas dishes are FiestaWare purchased in the past two years. I don't think I have a dollar store mug or decoration used very much anywhere in the house, since I don't really care for a lot of clutter and "stuff" although the Grandkids have given me a couple of "Grandma" themed things that I keep for use as a vase.

As most here know, I have a large organic garden, my canning jars are apparently safe, and we have a freezer full of homegrown chicken and beef. I don't know what the deer eat, pretty much the same stuff my cows do, all grown without chemical fertilizer or pesticides, so we're as good as it's gonna get. I gotta lay off the chocolate, though, apparently.

And is ANYONE surprised to know that rotisserie chicken is full of salt and chemicals? And, of course, treated terribly, like most commercially available meat without the "humane" stickers?

Annie

thanks Annie! her site is difficult to navigate and i guess i was pretty lazy to take the time to figure it out!

i did read through the comments and i did throw out one mug that didn't say Hull with the circle c next to Hull... i bought a fake.

i do love the steins, they hold 16oz of coffee., i have to find safer mugs! not fond of glass, they don't keep it hot.

i do use a Yeti for more second cup every day, they seem safe....

any good ceramic 16oz mugs recommendations?

there is not much info out there except her site.... finding it hard to verify what she is saying. not saying i don't believe her but would like another source...

You are very welcome. I have a box of that brown Hill dripware in the garage, so you made me curious anyway. I don't quite know what I'm going to do with it.

I'd also like another source, or more sources. I tend to be somewhat suspicious, especially when someone is selling something. Of course, I also tend to be a bit reckless, with a "what the heck" personality, so I think about it, I get suspicious and then I do as I please anyway, LOL.

My recently departed Mother lived a healthier life than anyone I know. She lived on raw vegetables, in large part from my organic garden and a local green house supplier. She never ate chicken skin, didn't care for beef or pork, watched for saturated fat like a hawk, never weighed over 100 pounds and she walked endless miles. That didn't stop her high blood pressure, her cholesterol over 500 or her mini strokes and subsequent vascular dementia. She did live to be 87 but dementia mostly took her away at least a year ago, and the last couple of years I can only hope she did not realize what had happened to her.

So, do your best but don't get too absorbed in it, we're all goners in the end. How's that for optimistic thought? (grin)

Annie

I would expect mugs that have lead in their glaze to get dangerously hot in a microwave.

I'm not worried about cadmium or lead in chocolate, since I eat so little of it. I will occasionally make a chocolate dessert, such as chocolate hazelnut Bavarian cream pie, toffee, biscotti dipped in chocolate, etc, but I don't make these that often.

I wonder if chocolate liqueur has lead in it. Every few months or so, I will use it to make a black Russian, but only for a special occasion.

American Mug Pottery

Uncommon Clay Potbelly coffee mug.

anyone heard of these? Sold through Amazon.

found on this site

I'm not sure that because a piece of pottery has lead in the glaze, that it is leaching into the food. Just indicates that it potentially could. I think the condition of the glaze, the acidity and molecular state of the food and the temperature all come into play.

As for apples, the problem of pesticides is compounded by the fact that many of them are mixed with a waxy substance, precisely so that they will resist coming off when it rains. Also, apples are washed after they come out of the fields, but then as I mentioned, treated with carnauba wax so they last longer. So all bets are off, IMHO. Apples are one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the US. Apparently there is a scant bit of research that says a soak in baking soda might be helpful. I just peel unless it is "organic" whatever that means . . . I only particularly worry about apples since I know they are one of the worst offenders and a fruit I most frequently eat. No sense going to great lengths for stuff that doesn't make much difference. That's how I feel about the chocolate issue. I don't eat that much anyway, and one study can't necessarily be projected onto the entire product supply.

https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/smarter-should-you-wash-produce-with-baking-soda-a6385579987/

Thankfully, I can find any organic fruit or vegetable that I desire in the many stores around us, and I do garden organically, so I feel somewhat safer from pesticide residues.

However we do live near a busy causeway, in a highly populated area, and I'm sure there must be plenty of lead in the soil around here from the leaded gas and paint of generations ago.

Infants and children are the ones that most need to be protected from lead, since it adversely impacts developing brains.

Around here, chelation for oldsters is popular for that reason, the idea being that you might have been exposed to a lot of lead through work or where you lived. No evidence that it makes a difference but it isn't harmful if you don't go to extremes, so I'm not going to rail against it.

For me, part of being "pro life" is to want to protect life from constant exposure to toxins. Particularly in cases where there is an easy fix to mitigate. However, our world is complicated, toxins are everywhere, as are life threatening behaviors and forces. So one has to find a middle ground of doing something but not obsessing and expecting perfection or nothing else will suffice.

This is interesting - from Snopes.com in 2016

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/vintage-pyrex-contains-unsafe-levels-of-lead/

Vintage Pyrex Contains Unsafe Levels of Lead?

Scarelore about purported lead levels in vintage Pyrex does not jibe with the popular brand's documented history or the timing of FDA oversight.