Can lead leach from glazed pottery and ceramic dishes into acidic food?

What's actually in it

Traditional glazed pottery and decorative ceramic dishes often contain lead-based glazes that create a shiny, colorful finish. Lead makes glazes flow smoothly and produce bright colors, which is why it's been used in ceramics for centuries. Many artisanal, imported, or traditional ceramic dishes still use lead glazes today.

When acidic foods like tomato sauce, citrus, vinegar-based dishes, or coffee sit in these containers, the acid dissolves lead from the glaze and pulls it into the food. You can't see, taste, or smell it.

What the research says

A 2025 study in J Public Health Manag Pract tested glazed pottery sold at the Mexico-U.S. border by cooking acidic food in it and measuring how much lead leached out. The researchers simulated real cooking conditions to see what people would actually be exposed to.

The pottery released extremely high levels of soluble lead into the food, far exceeding the FDA's action level. Acidic food dramatically increased the leaching compared to neutral liquids. The longer the food sat in the pottery, the more lead dissolved.

These lead levels are high enough to cause measurable harm with regular use, especially for children, pregnant women, and anyone using the pottery daily. Lead exposure causes permanent brain damage in children and raises blood pressure and kidney disease risk in adults.

Never cook or store food in decorative or imported pottery unless it's been tested for lead. Home lead test kits (available at hardware stores) can screen pottery surfaces. Use only ceramics specifically labeled as food-safe and lead-free from reputable manufacturers.