- - Check Your Cookware: The FDA Issued a Warning About Lead Contamination

Erica SweeneyNovember 7, 2025 at 11:45 PM

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The FDA Warns This Cookware May Leach Lead Into Food Carlina Teteris - Getty Images

If you haven’t looked through your pots and pans in a while, now might be a good time. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently expanded its list of cookware that may be leaching lead into your food. Here’s what you .

What’s the warning?

The FDA issued its initial warning in August, followed by an update in September. The agency added new products to the list in October.

The warning covers some imported cookware products made from aluminum, brass, and aluminum alloys, known as Hindalium/Hindolium or Indalium/Indolium. Tests by the FDA and its state partners found that the items may leach lead into food.

No regulations authorize the use of lead as a color or food additive, including in cookware, foodware, or food contact surfaces, the FDA says. The agency monitors lead levels in food and leachable lead levels in cookware to protect the public.

“Young children, women of child-bearing age, and those who are breastfeeding may be at higher risk for potential adverse events after eating food cooked using these products,” according to the FDA.

Which products are affected?

The FDA identified multiple cookware products that may leach lead into food, but notes that other products may be affected, and additional items may be added to the warning, as testing is ongoing. Here’s the list, including where the products were sold:

Aluminum hammered karahi/kadai cookware, sold at the Indian Supermarket in Sacramento, California

Brass pots, sold at Santos Agency Inc. in San Leandro, California

Dolphin brand aluminum saucepans, sold at Diya Handicrafts in Chicago

Town Food Service Equipment brand 2-quart and 3-quart aluminum saucepans, sold at Best Kitchen Supply in Washington, D.C.

Royal Kitchen Cookware brand milk pan, sold at Subzi Bazaar in Rochelle Park, New Jersey

Tiger White brand kadai/karahi cookware, sold at Mannan Supermarket in Jamaica, New York

Silver Horse brand aluminum mathar kadai cookware and aluminum milk pans, sold at Patel Brothers in Schaumburg, Illinois

JK Vallabhdas brand aluminum kadai cookware, sold at IndiaCo in Hoffman Estates, Illinois

A complete list is available on the FDA’s website.

What are the dangers of lead exposure?

“No level of lead is safe,” says Maida P. Galvez, MD, a professor in the departments of environmental medicine and pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Lead can leach out of cookware and into contaminated foods and drinks; acidic foods, in particular, promote the leaching of lead, she explains.

“Children are at higher risk of health impacts from exposure to lead, given their brains are still developing,” Dr. Galvez says. “Even low levels of lead can affect a child’s learning and behavior.”

Anyone exposed to lead may experience a range of symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including:

Metallic taste

Abdominal pain

Nausea or vomiting

Diarrhea or constipation

Dehydration

Headaches

Exhaustion, irritability, or weakness

Appetite loss

Memory loss

Pain or tingling in your hands or feet

Increased blood pressure

“Talk to your physician if you are concerned that you or your child has been exposed to lead,” Dr. Galvez says.

What should you do if you have cookware on the list?

The FDA recommends checking your kitchen cabinets for any of the cookware products listed in the warning and throwing them away immediately. Also, avoid donating or trying to refurbish them. (If you're looking to replace your cookware, the GH Kitchen Appliances Lab recently recommended a range of high-quality stainless steel sets — stainless steel as a material is not known to contain any lead.)

If you’re concerned about lead exposure or elevated lead levels, contact your healthcare provider, the FDA says.

“The bottom line is to prevent exposure to lead in cookware, check FDA recalls, and choose lead-free options,” Dr. Galvez says. “This is especially important guidance for those who are pregnant or nursing.”

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