Is Lead Crystal Safe for Food?
Lead crystal goes back a long way in history where lead has been added to silicates to give added brilliance through the refraction of light, particularly when it is cut by machine or by hand – it also gives it that ping. However, crystal can have 24 to 30 percent lead in its composition and this is why it can be hazardous to your health through a process called leaching.
Acidic things like tomato sauce and soft drinks cause the crystal to leach right into your food and the percentage levels of lead will quickly reach unsafe levels. This makes the storage of wines and alcohol particularly unsafe, and indeed, it is unwise to store any ingestible product in crystal containers. Jam is especially bad.
Be particularly aware of antique crystal as it usually has higher levels of lead. The finish may be easily damaged by dishwashers and that will allow even more leaching. This is even true for some modern crystal.
A glass of wine is believed to be okay, due to the short time factor, to come within safe levels of lead. The human body is able to handle eliminating lead in very small doses just fine.
If you do choose to use these beautiful items try to keep it only on special occasions and for short periods of time. Soaking crystal in vinegar for 24 hours before use will also decrease the leaching process. Children and pregnant mothers should avoid crystal all together.
Lead poisoning is a very serious condition and often by the time symptoms appear so much damage has been done to your system that it may be too late to reverse the effects. Health Canada has a list of other articles in the home such as candles, glazed ceramics, and cans that can have lead. They also feature an excellent question and answer section plus other valuable information you might like to peruse.
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