Is cast iron cookware from China safe?
I recently purchased a cast iron bread pan, and didn't see that it was made in China on the Amazon sales page. Oops. I saw it on the box and haven't opened it yet. I know there is a lot of concern when it comes to Chinese goods and heavy metals. I like heavy metal { \m/...(>.<)…\m/ }, but not in my food. So, is something like this safe? I Googled the question, but like with so many things it looks more like uninformed fear than anything else.
Best Answer
I should have spent a bit more time searching. One of the searched results that looked like a fear video was actually the opposite. Here is some stuff from that video and comments.
First: Lead boils at about half the temperature that iron melts. So even if you start out with a mix of lead and iron, it won't last long. Second:
A bit of arithmetic: - Cast Iron Assay can expect Lead content to be 0.001 to 0.15%. (By weight or volume is not significant, see below) My 26.5 cm Chinese skillet, as yet unused (which is why I am researching) weighs 2.1 kg. At 0.15% that is a total lead content of 3.15g. Realistically, how much of that can ever get into the food? Cast iron density is around 6800 - 7800 kg/m3. At the higher figure this works out to a volume for my skillet of 2.1/7800 m^3 = 2.7 x 10^-4 m^3= 270cc. Ignoring the handle and sides, let us consider only the flat cooking surface diameter 20cm, and assume a depth of say 1mm available to leach the lead. Volume of a cylinder = pi r^2 x h = 3.14 x 10cm^2 x 0.1 = 31.4cc. Thus 31.4/270 x 100 = roughly 11.6%. 11.6/100x3.15 = 0.37g = 370?g of lead available. Lead toxicity is at about 10 ?g/dL of blood. Average human blood volume is 500dL. So, if ALL the available lead in the pan was taken out AT ONCE, and you managed to absorb it ALL, just into your blood, , you would have a blood level of 370/500 = 0.74?g/dL, about 1/14th the toxic level, before your system kicked it out at around half per 30 days. Go figure.
So no, I don't need to worry.
edit: Hmm. The video's figures were wrong. Iron melts at about 1811K and lead boils at about 1749. Close but not quite. Still, from this source it seems that a typical blast furnace should still boil lead.
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Quick Answer about "Is cast iron cookware from China safe?"
The cast iron pans made in China, which are sold as “seasoned cast iron” are coated with an FDA-approved bake on paint for seasoning, rather than vegetable oil. The black stuff that is chipping off is the “seasoning” and it is paint. If you are using cast iron that is chipping paint, throw it out.Does cast iron from China have lead?
Short Answer: Cast iron (any type of iron) has a much higher melting point than Lead; accordingly, undecorated, simple cast iron pots and pans \u2013 at the time of their manufacture \u2013 almost never have any lead (as it is unlikely for the metal substrate of the pan itself to contain lead). What is this?Can cast iron pans be toxic?
Can cast iron cause iron toxicity? Only people with hemochromatosis are at risk of iron toxicity from cast iron cookware. Even then, the risk is low, since a new, well-seasoned cast iron pan only leaches about five milligrams of iron per cup of food. Older pans will leach less cast iron.Is Chinese made cookware safe?
If the cookware companies that outsource production to China, oversee the production to make sure quality is not compromised, then you don't have to worry. In all likelihood, cookware from good brands (even if the cookware is made in China) is of good quality.What cast iron is not made in China?
Le Creuset enameled cast iron cookware, including their world-famous Dutch ovens, are made in the French town, Fresnoy-le-Grand.WARNING! Does CAST IRON from CHINA contain LEAD?
More answers regarding is cast iron cookware from China safe?
Answer 2
Please test for lead instead of guessing. A home lead paint test kit should work.
Answer 3
The melting point of lead (621°F), a boiling point of 3,164°F and starts to vaporize The point where Iron is ready to cast is 2300-2500.F doesn't come close to the point of stratification of the metals. It's all about the metal you start with in the first place. Chinese Cast Iron? Who knows
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