An open kitchen cupboard with neat stacks of plain white plates, glass storage jars and clear glass food boxes in soft morning light
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.
warediary

WHAT FOOD SAFETY BODIES SAY

Know what your
kitchenware is for.

FOR FOOD and the right food

  • Look for the symbol
  • Mind hot and sour food
  • Retire worn or decorative ware
  • Small checks, safer meals

Every pot, tub and plate is made for a job.

Food safety bodies in the UK and Europe say the same simple thing: use kitchenware as it was meant to be used, and take extra care with hot, fatty, salty or sour food.

Updated

Check a dish

THE SHORT ANSWER

Use it for
what it was made for.

Most kitchenware is safe in normal use.
The risks come from using it for the wrong job.

LABELS

Look for the glass and fork

UK law says kitchenware sold for food must say “for food contact”, name its use or carry the glass and fork symbol. It does not mean dishwasher safe.

Check a dish

HOT FOOD

Hot, fatty and sour need care

Finland's food authority says very sour, fatty or hot food draws more substances out of containers. Use a microwave-marked box for heating.

Four habits

OLD CHINA

Keep souvenirs on the shelf

Decorative and souvenir dishes can contain heavy metals. The US FDA flags antique, worn or brightly glazed pottery as a lead risk.

See the numbers

A QUICK DISH CHECK

What is in it,
and in what?

Pick a container and a use to see how food safety guidance rates it. The bar shows how strongly the guidance says to change what you are doing.

Dish check

Choose a container
Dry pasta in a reused yoghurt potFine with care

Throwaway packaging is not tested for repeated use, but the Finnish Food Authority says it can be reused with care for dry food.

Tomato sauce kept in foilSwap the wrap

Germany's BfR says aluminium can move into food, especially sour or salty food. It suggests not wrapping acidic or salty food in foil.

Hot curry in a takeaway tubUse another box

Disposable tubs should not hold hot, fatty or very sour food. For the microwave, choose a container marked as microwave suitable.

Coffee in a bamboo-plastic cupStop using it

The FSA and Food Standards Scotland advise not using plastic cups or utensils containing bamboo for food or drink. Reuse them for non-food jobs or put them in general waste.

Juice in a bright souvenir jugDecoration only

Souvenir dishes sold as decorations often contain heavy metals that can dissolve into food. The FDA says washing or boiling cannot remove lead.

Sources: Finnish Food Authority consumer guidance (2020); FSA and Food Standards Scotland notice on bamboo composites (July 2024); BfR press release on aluminium (2018); US FDA Q&A on lead-glazed pottery.

Based on guidance from the Finnish Food Authority, Food Standards Scotland and the FSA, the US FDA and Germany's BfR. General information only.

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Most of us see the symbol,
few know what it says.

Both figures come from a 2023 survey of shoppers
in 11 European countries by the consumer group BEUC.

29%

Know the glass and fork means food contact

Around 3 in 4 people recognised the glass and fork symbol, but only 29% knew it means suitable for food contact. Many thought it meant dishwasher safe.

THE SYMBOL · BEUC 2023

1 in 2

Keep using worn or damaged containers

Half of those surveyed keep using worn or damaged food containers and kitchenware for some time. BEUC notes that age and wear can increase the risk of chemicals moving into food.

WORN WARE · BEUC 2023

BEUC also found that 2 in 3 people at least sometimes find no safe-use instructions on food containers and kitchenware, and that over 8,000 chemicals are used to make and treat food packaging materials.

FOUR HABITS TO TRY

Safer dishes,
nothing new to buy.

A brightly painted old ceramic jug in orange and yellow standing on a wooden shelf as a decoration, beside a small potted plant
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

These come from food safety authorities in Finland, the UK, Germany and the US. Most are about how you use what you already own.

  1. Read the label once

    Packaging should say if there are limits on temperature, food type or contact time. Follow it, and keep the leaflet for the microwave and oven rules.

  2. Decant hot and sour food

    Move hot leftovers and acidic sauces into glass or a box made for the job. Move food out of an opened tin before storing it.

  3. Retire cracked and worn ware

    Only use containers with an intact surface. Once the surface is broken, the container no longer has the quality it was made with.

  4. Save old china for best

    Use inherited ceramics and crystal glasses for special occasions, not every day, and keep souvenir and decorative pieces away from food.

IF YOU OWN BAMBOO-PLASTIC WARE

Reuse it,
but not for food.

A hand spooning hot leftover stew from a pan into a clear glass food container with a lid on a kitchen worktop
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

In July 2024 the FSA and Food Standards Scotland advised people not to use plastic cups, bowls or utensils that contain bamboo or similar plant fibres such as rice husk, wheat straw or hemp. Experts found these can release formaldehyde and melamine into food above the legal limit.

They are not compostable and cannot be recycled, so put them in general waste or use them for non-food jobs. The advice does not cover items made only from bamboo, such as a plain wooden spoon. Composite items usually feel smooth, like plastic.

Questions

Questions people ask

What does the glass and fork symbol mean?

It means the item is meant to come into contact with food. Under the food contact law that still applies in the UK, kitchenware sold for food must carry the words “for food contact”, a specific use such as soup spoon, or this symbol. It is not a dishwasher or microwave mark.

Can I reuse takeaway tubs and yoghurt pots?

The Finnish Food Authority says throwaway packaging is not generally tested for repeated use. At home it can be reused with care, for example for dry food, but not for fatty, hot or very acidic food.

Are bamboo cups safe?

Plastic cups and utensils that mix plastic with bamboo or other plant fibres are not authorised in Great Britain, and the FSA and Food Standards Scotland advise not using them for food or drink. Items made solely from bamboo are not covered by that advice.

Is it fine to wrap food in foil?

Germany's BfR says aluminium can move into food, particularly when food is acidic or salty or is kept warm in foil or trays. Anyone wanting to cut their intake can avoid wrapping acidic or salty food in foil and use stainless steel trays on the barbecue.

How can I tell if old pottery contains lead?

You cannot tell by looking. The US FDA lists antique, worn, crude handmade, street-market and bright orange, red or yellow glazed pieces as problem types. Home test kits exist; if in doubt, do not use the piece for food, as washing cannot remove lead.

Sources

Where the facts come from

  1. Food Standards Scotland: Updated notice on plastic containers and utensils containing bamboo (2024)
  2. legislation.gov.uk: Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, Article 15 Labelling
  3. Finnish Food Authority: Consumer resources to affect chemical exposure from food contact materials
  4. BfR: Aluminium and food (press release, 2018)
  5. US FDA: Questions and answers on lead-glazed traditional pottery
  6. BEUC: Consumers insufficiently informed about safe use of food containers and kitchenware (2023)

ABOUT THIS NAME

Interested in leasing warediary.com?

warediary.com is part of the DoodleSale portfolio. It isn't in an auction right now, but you can ask about leasing it.

Ask about this name