Lead in Rival crockpots? Maybe not as bad as I thought.

[bibliophile birds]

is the only difference between a dutch/french oven and a crockpot/slowcooker the fact that the latter has it's own heating element?

eta: does anyone else think it's really weird that there are acceptable levels of lead for cooking items that WILL MOST DEFINITELY contain food that will be ingested but you CAN'T have lead in paint anymore because children MIGHT chew on your windowsills?

 

[Henrietta23]

I had a red Rival crockpot for a few years. Just recently the *&%$ dog pulled it off the counter and broke the crock. I bought a new Hamilton Beach that is black. It's bigger than the Rival and I was considering getting a replacement crock for the Rival. But I found that buying and shipping a new crock will cost more than just going to Target and getting a whole new crock! Anyway....
I did some Googling and can't find anything that says Rival crocks definitely do or don't have lead. Better safe than sorry I suppose!

 

[kcsunshine]

Well I have 2 Rival crock pots (green). Should I or should I not use them. I also have a new larger Hamilton Beach black crock. Lead, huh? Maybe that's why I'm getting heavier. Oh I wish it were that simple.

 

[big brown horse]

Ok, after much searching on the web I found a person that actually took several different crockpots in various colors to "wee cycle" and had them tested for lead.

http://www.terminalverbosity.com/2009/11/09/the-skinny-on-lead-in-crock-pots-it-may-surprise-you/

Interesting read and I'm happy to say that my crockpot (black rival/crockpot) did not test positive for lead. In fact, NONE of the crockpots she took up to the testing site tested positive for lead either.

I can breath a little easier now, I hope you can too.

 

[patandchickens]

Hey, thank you for that excellent link!

I think the situation is a bit confusing and confused, from what I've read on various websites. There are several separate issues that are getting lumped together. First, the lead content of the ceramic (or whatever you call it) that the crocks are made of, versus the lead content of the glaze that is actually in contact with food. Second, lead as measured by different types of tests with different sensitivity and accuracy characteristics. And third, lead content of the crock (itself, or the glaze) versus amount of lead actually IN REAL LIFE leaching out into food under normal operating conditions.

The only really meaningful thing IMHO is the latter, which I am having trouble finding information on. If anyone knows of any reports of tests done on this (e.g. lab tests of lead content of, like, tomato sauce cooked for 10 hrs in a crock, compared to the same sauce right out of its original container) I'd really like to see 'em.

However from what reading I have done it seems like any lead that is there is in the *pottery* not the glaze, so unless your crock is crazed or cracked (which is not especially safe to use at that point for other reasons either) it is not obvious that there'd be any lead exposure to food in the first place.

Note btw that it is perfectly reasonable for crockery to have some lead in it (not the glaze, the *pottery* itself), as unless you source somewhat unusual materials the naturally-occurring clays often have some miniscule lead content. This is presumably what's present in the crockpot samples being discussed.

Digression: I think it is good to look into these things. However, ya know what I mostly think? I think it is insane to expect food (or anything else in life) to be risk-factor-free. Never happen. You go looking for scary tiny risks, they are everywhere. Including in old-timey and organic-crunchy-natural-holistic things (botulism! uncontrolled varying amounts of plants' phytochemicals, many of which are toxic at some level! etc). I think it makes a lot of sense to research things enough to avoid obvious large risks, e.g. I do not use mexican pottery for food -- but you can't go jumping at EVERY mention of a scary word, because an awful lot of the instances are going to be below meaningful threshold of effect and in any case pretty much EVERYthing you eat carries SOME risks of SOMEthing, and yet ya gotta eat

JMHO,

Pat

 

[big brown horse]

You're welcome.

Right on Pat, you can't break your neck over tiny uncontrollable risks that occur in your life. I totally agree. However, if I had a choice between anything with or without lead I'd choose the later.

 

[freemotion]

The key concept for me being "controllable" vs "uncontrollable."

 

[bibliophile birds]

from what i've been reading, the issue is lead that is used to stabilize and enhance the pigments in the glaze. and THAT is totally avoidable. but companies don't see it that way. they see that people like the bright, vibrant, glossy glazes and so that's what they sell even though it means they have to use lead. so, if your crock pot is color glazed inside the crock, you are baking lead into your meals.

now, it's up to everyone to decide what is acceptable to them. a lot of people would say that it's fine if the FDA says it is and all the crockpots i've read about meet FDA standards.

personally, i don't put much faith in the FDA. i mean, their standards for most things are preposterous. check out this list of 11 gross things the FDA allows in your food if you have any questions about that.

so i, personally, won't buy a crock pot that uses lead in it's glaze. then again, i'm not really looking for one. i'll stick to my dutch ovens. luckily, the Le Creuset one that i'm hopefully getting for Christmas is lead free. it does contain cadmium (which is another thing to be on the look out for) but not on the inside of the oven, just in the glaze on the outside of it.

Is Le Creuset lead and cadmium free?

Cadmium and lead are two elements under strict control in the cookware industry. Our position today for the entire production process is to be in compliance with California Proposal 65 which is the most rigid standard in the world for these elements (approx. 10 times lower than "acceptable" limits). Lead is NOT used in our recipes and for cadmium a special anti-acid enamel fritt is used which will not release the cadmium pigment during cooking. Cadmium is used for coloration purposes in achieving bright exterior colours such as Flame and Cherry. The interior enamel which makes contact with food is either sand, white, or black.

not perfect, but a situation i can live with.