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Aluminium utensils

Why aluminium utensils contain lead?

Aluminium utensils contain lead primarily due to the use of contaminated scrap metal (like car parts, radiators) in their manufacturing, especially by small-scale producers, leading to lead leaching into food, posing serious health risks like neurological damage, especially in children. Lead isn’t naturally in aluminum but gets mixed in during melting down of various recycled items, sometimes intentionally to improve machinability or lower melting points, with poor quality control allowing it to remain.

Sources of Lead in Aluminium Utensils:

  • Recycled Scrap Metal: The main source is melting down various discarded items like engine blocks, old cookware, electronics, and radiators, which contain lead, into new pots and pans.
  • Alloying: Lead is sometimes intentionally added to aluminum alloys to make them easier to machine or to lower their melting point.
  • Manufacturing Practices: Artisanal producers in many regions often use raw, unrefined scrap without rigorous quality control, making contamination more likely.

Why It’s Dangerous:

  • Leaching: The lead in the alloy can easily leach (release) into acidic or salty foods cooked in these pots, especially as the surface gets scratched or corrodes.
  • Health Impacts: Lead accumulation in the body causes serious issues, including lower IQ, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems, especially in children.
  • No Safe Level: There’s no safe level of lead exposure, making any measurable amount in cookware a concern.

What to Do:

  • Be cautious with cookware from unknown overseas manufacturers or small shops.
  • Look for certification and consider well-known brands with better quality control.
  • Discard any cookware that tests positive for lead.

https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/us-news/fda-alert-over-cookware-that-may-leach-lead-into-food-several-india-made-products-listed/4057832/