Correlle dishes and Melamine--safe to use? - Page 2

[rsps]

this definition of Melamine is from Wikipedia -- can't verifiy he accuracy, but raises a cause for concern:

Melamine is a strong organic base with chemical formula C3H6N6, with the IUPAC name 1,3,5-Triazine-2,4,6-triamine. It is primarily used to produce melamine resin, which when combined with formaldehyde produces a very durable thermoset plastic. This plastic is often used in kitchen utensils and is the main constituent of Formica®.

SO if they contain formaldehyde they would be potentianlly off-gasing, an heating would increase the processes (hence no microwaving)

[daisymommy]

EEEEW! Formaldehyde?! Gross! I do wonder if that's any worse than other plastics though. I wonder how bad it is to use them for dry food like sandwiches, but not in the microwave?--I have sworn off using any kind of plastic in the microwave, period.

But I will definetly be shopping for some Correlleware this week!

[Kay McGraw]

Melamine question

Melamine won't release BPA, which is the chemical to be concerned about in polycarbonate plastics, commonly marked with a number 7. Melamine is a nitrogen-containing chemical that is used as a fire retardant and when combined with formaldehyde forms a resin. Melamine products are not known to release formaldehyde gases and as far as we know are safe for food. But melamine dishes should not be used in the microwave. Before putting ANY dishes in the microwave, you should check the bottom to see if they are microwave safe and not marked with a number 7.

Here's more information about plastics in the microwave, if you're interested:

http://www.simplesteps.org/content/view//334/37

I work for NRDC, an environmental organization. This information is from NRDC's website, www.simplesteps.org, and has been vetted by our staff scientists and doctors. I hope it was helpful.

Thanks,
Kay

[talia rose]

melamine on it's own is considered "mildly toxic" but in order to make it into a plate, you mix it with a formaldehyde resin. so although they may claim it is non-toxic - do you want your kids eating off formaldehyde?

"It has been six years that Kazakhstani doctors fight against Chinese products made of toxic materials: dishes made of poisonous melamine, toys of cadmium and child clothes containing formaldehyde.

The centre for emergencies and hygienic expertise, Ministry of Health of RF, studying melamine established that rats that ate from melamine plates got allergy, cancer and started mutating.

Ten years ago melamine plates were used as disposables in planes and restaurant coaches of trains. Now doctors find them in kindergartens, schools, military barracks. Melamine products ooze huge quantities of the formaldehyde tars. Their presence in the food then exceeds acceptable norms by tens or even hundreds of times. And depending on dyes the melamine excretes heavy metals - lead, cadmium, manganese.

Collectors have a special concern. Hard plastic melamine dishes have been made since 1937. The first really popular melamine dinner set was designed by Russel Wright in 1944. By the 1950s most people referred to melamine dishes by the brand name Melmac. They were unbreakable but scratched and stained and were out of favor by the late 1970s. But they are collected now and used. Are they safe? Does the hard plastic have any of the problems of the gluten mixture? Is it dangerous to heat Melmac dishes in a microwave or dishwasher? Our advice--- For now, use ceramic or stainless steel dishes for your pets and the family.

[Aura_Kitten]

Originally Posted by talia rose

melamine on it's own is considered "mildly toxic" but in order to make it into a plate, you mix it with a formaldehyde resin. so although they may claim it is non-toxic - do you want your kids eating off formaldehyde?

"It has been six years that Kazakhstani doctors fight against Chinese products made of toxic materials: dishes made of poisonous melamine, toys of cadmium and child clothes containing formaldehyde.

The centre for emergencies and hygienic expertise, Ministry of Health of RF, studying melamine established that rats that ate from melamine plates got allergy, cancer and started mutating.

Ten years ago melamine plates were used as disposables in planes and restaurant coaches of trains. Now doctors find them in kindergartens, schools, military barracks. Melamine products ooze huge quantities of the formaldehyde tars. Their presence in the food then exceeds acceptable norms by tens or even hundreds of times. And depending on dyes the melamine excretes heavy metals - lead, cadmium, manganese.

Collectors have a special concern. Hard plastic melamine dishes have been made since 1937. The first really popular melamine dinner set was designed by Russel Wright in 1944. By the 1950s most people referred to melamine dishes by the brand name Melmac. They were unbreakable but scratched and stained and were out of favor by the late 1970s. But they are collected now and used. Are they safe? Does the hard plastic have any of the problems of the gluten mixture? Is it dangerous to heat Melmac dishes in a microwave or dishwasher? Our advice--- For now, use ceramic or stainless steel dishes for your pets and the family.

:: running to get rid of my kids' melamine set ::

[chel]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

I have some plastic lids that came with one of my Corelle sets- they fit perfectly on the soup/cereal bowls. I'm not sure what kind of plastic they are but most of the food is touching the corelle, not the lid. I use those for food storage quite frequently, and they're stackable that way. The only problem is that I can't see what's in the bowls (unlike the glass jars I also use.)

I have the same set. I never heat up the lids, but I like being able to cover leftovers. I try to heat up stuff like canned soup, instant pasta/rice dishes in a corningware dish.

melamine gets really hot when it's in the microwave, like too hot to pick up, yet the food on the plate is cold. I've had plates get blisters from being too hot. I've had several set. One decades old from my grandparents.

[Aura_Kitten]

Yeah - on microwaving melamine - I had one melt once : ... didn't think that could happen...

[Ironica]

Originally Posted by USAmma

Corelle is not breakproof, it is just chip-proof because of the way the glass set. My dd1 had broken a few pieces of it and it just explodes with small pieces everywhere. We have tile flooring. It might fare better with linoleum.

It's all about angle of impact and velocity, I think. The only time we've ever broken one of our Corelle plates, it happened in the living room... DS tossed it from standing on the couch, and it hit the (wooden) coffee table and exploded all over the room. We lived in an apartment with a tile kitchen floor for five years and never broke a Corelle plate on it, though.

[momtoNatalee]

I've been obsessivly researching plastic dinnerware replacements and have decided on Corelle. At first I was hoping to find wood(or possibly bamboo) but needed something that could withstand the dishwasher well.... my grandmother still uses the same Corelle set she has had since before I was born(26 yrs ago). Not sure if any broke over the years (probably) but she still has plenty and they have special memories to me