Colorful ceramic tableware: Beware of cancer.

As the year draws to a close, many families traditionally buy beautiful tableware to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year). Experts warn that tableware of unknown origin, sold haphazardly on the market, especially those from China with colorful patterns and designs, often contain lead and cadmium, posing a potential risk of cancer.

As is her annual tradition, every year during the Lunar New Year season, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen (from Hung Yen province) is busy shopping for items to prepare for the festivities and pack them for transport back to her hometown. Although ceramic and porcelain dishes are fragile, they are always essential items on her shopping list for the Tet holiday.

She shared: “In the rural market, during Tet (Lunar New Year), many kinds of bowls and plates are sold, with decent designs, but most are from China. So, I have to buy bowls and plates here to bring back, both for home use and as gifts for close relatives. Although it's a bit busy and difficult to transport, I can rest assured about the origin of the products.” With that perspective, Ms. Huyen pays close attention to the origin of the products. When she has free time, she often asks her husband to take her to Bat Trang pottery village to find the most suitable sets of bowls, plates, and cups. Otherwise, she chooses to buy branded ceramic products from domestic businesses.

When choosing ceramic tableware for Tet (Lunar New Year), it's important to pay attention to the product's origin (illustrative image).

As can be seen, the period leading up to the Lunar New Year is a suitable time for many housewives to actively shop and prepare for a prosperous holiday. Plates, bowls, and cups are essential items that every family needs. However, the current market in Vietnam is flooded with many counterfeit Chinese ceramic tableware products of unknown origin. Their common characteristics include eye-catching designs, with many sets featuring elaborate patterns and motifs that look very appealing, and prices that are sometimes only one-third of those of branded, reputable products.

Because they are cheap and attractively designed, many women decide to buy these ceramic tableware products without knowing that these everyday ceramic tableware products always contain hidden dangers that can spread many dangerous diseases.

According to Mr. Le Duy Hao, Director of NaSon Ceramic Company, making ceramics requires firing the products at very high temperatures, a stage that accounts for a large proportion of production costs. To reduce production costs and enhance competitiveness, manufacturers reduce costs in the firing stage by adding lead to the raw materials to lower the firing temperature while still producing ceramics. Because of the lower production costs, these items naturally have lower prices. However, lead is a toxic chemical, and during the production process, it is not completely removed from the product surface. Using ceramic tableware containing lead for extended periods can severely impact health, leading to dangerous diseases.

Therefore, when choosing ceramic tableware, consumers should select products with clear origins. For porcelain products, choose those with a white glaze; avoid products from China with eye-catching colors and elaborate patterns, as they often use a lot of lead to increase adhesion, sharpness, and color intensity.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh (Institute of Biotechnology - Food, Hanoi University of Science and Technology) stated that tableware made with lead during firing is extremely toxic. When used to hold hot, acidic foods, fruit juices, etc., lead easily leachs due to the effects of temperature and acid, causing toxicity to users.

Besides using lead to reduce firing temperature and time, and to cut production costs, other toxic substances such as cadmium are also used. Cadmium is a carcinogen; cadmium poisoning can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and neurological disorders, and over time may lead to liver failure, heart damage, kidney damage, and circulatory problems.

According to Vietnam.net