Is Enameled Cast Iron Safe?
The question with enamel is the glaze. Health Canada says enamelware is made by applying glazes, a form of glass, to metal, and that ceramic, enamel or glass cookware can cause health concerns when the pigments used to make, glaze or decorate it contain lead or cadmium.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension says the FDA has set maximum levels for leachable lead in ceramic and enamel coatings, with products over those levels subject to recall or enforcement, and that in the 1970s excessive cadmium was found in pigments inside some enamel cookware made overseas, which the FDA then barred from import. In Canada, Health Canada says glazed ceramics and glass cookware must not transfer more than trace amounts of lead or cadmium to food.
Separately, the FDA has warned about certain imported cookware made from aluminum, brass and the alloys known as Hindalium and Indalium that may leach lead into food, in a December 2024 letter to retailers and an August 2025 warning, and Washington state bars aluminum or brass cookware with more than 90 parts per million of lead for items made from January 1, 2026. Those warnings concern aluminum and brass cookware, not enamel.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceHealth Canada says enamelware is made by applying glazes to metals, and that ceramic, enamel or glass cookware can cause health concerns when the pigments used contain lead or cadmium. Health Canada ↗
- Regulatory filingHealth Canada says glazed ceramics and glass cookware and bakeware in Canada must not transfer more than trace amounts of lead or cadmium to food or drink. Health Canada ↗
- StudyClemson University Cooperative Extension says the FDA has set maximum levels for leachable lead in ceramic and enamel coatings, and barred imports of enamel cookware after excessive cadmium was found in pigments in the 1970s. Clemson University Cooperative Extension ↗
- Government sourceIn a December 12, 2024 letter to retailers, the FDA said some imported cookware made from aluminum, brass and alloys known as Hindalium or Indalium showed the potential to leach lead in tests mimicking food use. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceIn a warning first issued in August 2025, the FDA told retailers and consumers not to sell or use certain imported cookware that may leach significant levels of lead into food. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingWashington law bars aluminum or brass cookware, utensils or components with more than 90 parts per million of lead, for items manufactured on or after January 1, 2026. Washington State Legislature ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.