FDA Warns Of Common Lead-Leaching Product That Could Be Sitting In Your Kitchen

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

While there are a variety of potentially harmful substances we're exposed to on a daily basis that have an acceptable level of exposure, lead is not one of them. Agencies and organizations like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have made it clear that there's no level of lead exposure that's safe for humans. On top of that, lead can cause some very serious, irreversible, and permanent damage to people's health if they are exposed to lead. Lead exposure can cause health issues like fatigue, vomiting, neurologic issues, hearing loss, seizures, developmental delays, miscarriage, mood disorders, and more. Lead exposure can be especially dangerous for pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and children. Sounds pretty serious, right? It is. This is why the FDA has put out a warning for certain brands of cookware with unsafe levels of lead that may be in your home right now.

Though not typically discussed as one of the most common sources of lead in your home, the FDA is advising everyone to take a good look at their cookware. The FDA regularly monitors and tests and monitors lead levels in food and cookware and has added a few brands to its growing list of cookware with lead that can leach into your food when used for cooking or food storage. These are imported products that have been made from aluminum, brass, and aluminum alloys called Hindalium/Hindolium or Indalium/Indolium, and should be immediately removed from your kitchen.

The brands the FDA recently added to its warning list are from retailers in New York and Illinois. The FDA lists the items as follows: Kadai/Karahi (Tiger White, Pure Alluminium Utensils Tm, Saraswati Strips Pvt. Ltd.), Silver Horse (7 6554273084 5 Aluminium Mathar Kadai 26), Silver Horse (7 6554272863 7 Aluminium Milk Pan 4), and JK Vallabhdas (Aluminium Kadai India Bazaar #3 2000000772). Both the Silver Horse products (sold by the retailer Patel Brothers), and the JK Vallabhdas product (sold by INDIACO) are out of Illinois while the Kadai/Karahi product (retailer Mannan Supermarket) is out of New York. The FDA also noted in its warning that it has been unable to get a recall for these products, making it even more important that you do the footwork yourself and check your cabinets.

If you've found any of these items in your kitchen, make sure you clean up your home by throwing out these toxic household items. For some alternatives to stock your kitchen with the necessities, consider turning to the perfect nontoxic pan from Food52. In their Five Two collection, they have nontoxic pans that are safe up to 600 degrees. Caraway is also a solid brand that stands up to third-party toxicity testing with a ton of different pieces that will fit any kitchen design, like their gorgeous navy 12-piece set. Take some time to browse these lead-free cookware options to make your kitchen a safer place.

To review the list of items and find images of the products in question, please check the FDA's website.