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Quality and safety standards for ceramics referring to ceramic tableware,

kitchenware, hotel ware, enamel, glass which directly in contact with food or
drink, especially heavy meta...

Presentation · February 2019

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.16421.52960/1

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The third country training program (TCTP) on skill development for material
Processing For Mekong country : Intensive course on Ceramic processing
February 11-22, 2019 Creative Industrial Material Research and Development Center.
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.16421.52960/1

Quality and safety standards for ceramics

(referring to ceramic tableware, kitchenware, hotel ware, enamel, glass
which directly in contact with food or drink, especially heavy metal)
Jiraprabha Khajornboon
Creative Industrial Material Research and Development Center, Department of Industrial Promotion,
Ministry of Industry, Lampang, Thailand, Email : jiraprabha@dip.go.th

Preface
Quality and safety standard for ceramics refers to ceramic tableware, kitchenware, hotel ware, enamel,
glass with direct contact with food or drink, especially heavy metal as Pb and Cd. How can Pb and Cd
contaminate to ceramic products? How to notice dangerous ceramic product and the acceptance limit for import,
sale and test? What is the testing method for Pb and Cd contamination.

Introduction
Quality and safety standard for ceramics refer to ceramic table ware, kitchen ware, hotel ware, enamel,
glass which directly contact with food or drink. According to articles 15 and 17 of Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 :
the information that must be labelled on the product before marketing. The information must have,
1. State : for food contact shows a glass-fork symbol.
2. If necessary, instruct the safe and appropriate usage.
3. Name or company or address or location and processor who is responsible for marketing
4. Label or identification for the traceability of the material or product
The example of information on ceramics as shown as Figure 1.

Figure 1 Example of information on ceramics

 -2-

The most important regulation is the heavy metal migration from the ceramic goods into food. The heavy
metal is toxic and it can be hazardous to health. Compliance with this regulation must be guaranteed by
manufacturer and certified laboratory.
What is heavy metal? The heavy metal is 22 types and mainly a transition metal as Copper (Cu) Silver
(Ag) Gold (Au) Platinum (Pt) Zince (Zn) Lead (Pb) Tin (Sn) Chromium (Cr) Tungsten (W) Cadmium (Cd) Mercury
(Hg) Bismus (Bi) Antimony (Sb) Titanium (Ti) Tantalum (Ta) Cobalt (Co) Eurenium (U) Nickel (Ni) Manganese (Mn)
Molybdenum (Mo) Arsenic (As) and Germanium (Ge) with specific gravity more than 4 and density more than 5
g/cm3. They are stable and difficult to degrade in the nature. Moreover, the heavy metal is really dangerous. It
will stop and retard the enzyme by replacing with metal. The multifunction of cell membrane on the nutrition
part. It will cause toxic in cell as causing death cell, changing cell structure and function, causing of cancer,
causing of genetic disorder, chromosome damage. Especially, toxic of Lead (Pb) from consuming, breathing, and
touching. The Symptom is about the decrease of hemogloblin from red blood cell by Pb attacking. It will cause
enzyme disorder at liver, heart and blood vein, chromosome multifunction, cancer, disable and some organ are
destroyed such as bone, brain, kidney and thyroid gland. Moreover, toxic of Cadmium (Cd) from directly absorbing
in the stomach. The toxic will immediately spread in liver, spleen and interstine. The effect of Cadmium is cancer
cause, high blood pressure, back ache, arm and led ache, malfunction at kidney and lead to disable call I-tai I-
tai disease.
How heavy metal can contaminate in ceramic product? The heavy metal is contaminated in ceramic raw
materials all clay, glaze and pigments. For example, Pb is contaminated in ceramic product through glaze
composition due to its ability to decrease firing temperature, decrease surface tension, help smooth-clear-flashy-
bright color glaze, brighten the under glaze paint. Moreover, Pb is also contaminated in the decoration by mixing
in the Hot shade color as yellow or red. Cd is contaminated by mixer of decoration color because Cd color is
stable inorganic with the bright shade as yellow, orange, red and purple as maroon. If mixing with Zinc, Celenium
in CdS, it will turn to gold. In addition, Cd can withstand high temperature. So, the notice points for dangerous
ceramic product might follow these issues. (1) Ceramic with too bright and flashy pattern as red, orange, blue or
decal need to avoid. (2) Ceramic with inside (contact with food) decoration or rip rim of drinking cup or much
need to avoid. (3) Ceramic with uneven color or pattern need to avoid. And (4) Ceramic with already torn, peeling
after washing or cleaning need to avoid.
There is an acceptance limit for the contamination of Pb and Cd on the container for import, sale and
test as following Table 1. Together with the allowance limit for Pb and Cd on each product as permissible limits
as seen on Table 2. The standard testing method for checking the contamination of Pb and Cd is TIS 32-2546/ISO
6586-1:1999 : ceramic ware, glass-ceramic ware and glass dinnerware in contact with food-release of lead and
cadmium-Part 1 : Test method which is identical and applicable by TIS, Ministry of Industry, Thailand.
 -3-

Table 1 Acceptance limit for Pb and Cd contamination on import, sale and test

Country Regulation Details Effective date

California, USA California Proposition 65 If the amount of toxic over limit, inform -
the customer before sale.
European union Commission Directive State the import detail, lable, packaging 29 Apr 2005
2005/31/EC and testing method for Pb & Cd

Englang The Ceramic Articles in State the import detail, lable and testing 20 May 2006
Contact with Food method Pb & Cd
(England) Regulations 2006
Wales The Ceramic Articles in State the import detail, lable and testing 27 Jun 2006
Contact with Food (Wales) method Pb & Cd
Regulations 2006
Canada Hazardous Products Standard announcement in Canada 7 Mar 2007
(Glazed Ceramics and Gazette
Glassware) Regulations
Japan State the permittion limit for Pb and Cd in 31 July 2008
Ceramic, Glass and Enamel contact with
food and test standard
Thai Announcement from Reject the import ceramic and enamel 8 Aug 2008
commercial ministry contact food or need certified paper
follow new regulation
Turkey, Mexico, - Ask for Health Certificate from importer -
Argentina, government
Cyprus
 -4-

Table 2 : Allowance limit for Pb and Cd on each product.

Standard Permissible limits

mg/dm2 mg/l
Flat Flat Small Large Storage Cup Pitcher Lip & Cooking
ware ware hollow Hollow Hollow & Rim ware
ware ware ware mugs
FDA (USA & Pb - 3.0 2.0 1.0 - 0.5 0.5 4.0 -
Canada)
Cd - 0.50 0.5 0.25 - 0.25 0.25 0.40 -
California Pb - 0.226 0.10 0.10 - 0.10 0.10 - -
Proposition
65 Cd - 0.164 0.322 0.084 - - - - -
Japan Pb 8.0 - 2.0 1.0 0.5 - - - 0.5
(ceramic)
Cd 0.7 - 0.5 0.25 0.25 - - - 0.05
Japan (glass) Pb 8.0 - 1.5 0.75 0.5 - - - 0.5
Cd 0.7 - 0.5 0.25 0.25 - - - 0.05
EU Directive Pb 0.80 - 4.0 - - - - 1.5
2005/31/EC
Cd 0.07 - 0.30 - - - - 0.1
ISO 6486 Pb 0.80 - 2.0 1.0 0.5 0.5 - - -
Ceramic
Cd 0.07 - 0.50 0.25 0.25 0.25 - - -
ISO 7086 Pb - - 1.5 0.75 0.5 - - - -
Glass
Cd - - 0.50 0.25 0.25 - - - -
Food and Pb - - 5.0 2.5 - - - - 5.0
Drug of
Thailand Cd - 7.0 0.50 0.25 - - - - 0.5
 -5-

Standard Permissible limits

mg/dm2 mg/l
Flat Flat Small Large Storage Cup Pitcher Lip & Cooking
ware ware hollow Hollow Hollow & Rim ware
ware ware ware mugs
Australia / Pb 0.8 - 4.0 - - - - - -
New Zealand
Cd 0.07 - 0.30 - - - - - -
TISI ceramic Pb 0.8 - 2 1 - 0.5 - 4 -
Cd 0.07 - 0.5 0.25 - 0.25 - 0.4 -
TISI glass Pb 0.8 - 1.5 0.75 - - - - -
Cd 0.07 - 0.5 0.25 - - - - -
TCPS pottery Pb 1.7 - 5 2.5 - - - - -
Cd 0.17 - 0.5 0.25 - - - - -

Summary
Quality and safety standard for ceramics refers to ceramic tableware, kitchenware, hotel ware, enamel,
glass with direct contact with food or drink, especially heavy metal as Pb and Cd were establish with worldwide
standard. The contamination process and harmful of Pb and Cd was indicated and warned all consumer to avoid
consuming, breathing, and touching. The notice point of dangerous ceramic product and the acceptance limit
for import, sale and test was set under the testing standard for checking Pb and Cd contamination.

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