Ceramic teapots, pitchers recalled

Ceramic Teapots, Pitchers Recalled

More than 500 ceramic teapots and pitchers have been recalled because they contain excessive levels of lead that could leach into liquids. FDA warned that children who drink beverages from these containers over a long period could develop permanent nerve damage.

The containers, decorated with a "Delft Blue' mill and flower pattern, were distributed to 103 novelty stores and amusement parks in the United States since the beginning of the year. They were manufactured by M. Dewit Keramische Industrie, Gouda, The Netherlands, and distributed by Dutch American Import Co. of Irvine, Calif. The teapots and pitchers are not coded, but may have stick-on tags on their bases bearing catalog numbers 0535511 and 0535512 (teapots) and 0530671 and 0530672 (pitchers).

The teapots may also be labeled "Delft Holland Hanajes Childred' with a symbol on the base. The teapots are just over quart size, and the pitchers almost two quarts.

The recall was initiated after FDA analysis revealed levels of leachable lead as high as 11.4 parts per million in the pitchers and 24.3 ppm in the teapots. The lead comes from improperly treated glaze.

FDA limits the lead that is permitted to leach out of products into the foods they may hold.

FDA is monitoring the recall to ensure that all products are removed from the marketplace. Consumers should either return to teapots and pitchers to their place of purchase, or, if they decide to keep them, not use them to store food.

For more on the problem of lead and ceramic ware, see "Pretty Poison: Lead and Ceramic Ware' in the July-August 1987 FDA Consumer.

COPYRIGHT 1987 U.S. Government Printing Office
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning