Laboratory Testing
Holst Porzellan - made for food
Since 1997, we have been advertising with the slogan "Porcelain by professionals for professionals". We take this professional claim very seriously, especially when it comes to complying with all hygiene regulations and keeping below all limits for substances that are hazardous to health.
Anyone who places items on the market that are intended to come into contact with food bears a great responsibility for their customers and users. We take this responsibility very seriously and take great care to ensure that all our products comply with the requirements and conditions of the German Food Contact Materials and Articles Ordinance (LFGB) and do not transfer any harmful substances to the food that is placed on or introduced to them. To this end, we regularly commission neutral laboratory institutes to test our products for compliance with the limit values.
We do not stop at a one-off inspection! New collections and decorative goods in particular are analysed on a recurring basis, as decisive factors can change from production to production.
Holst porcelain is constantly and regularly tested by neutral institutes and laboratories with regard to its suitability as a food contact material. Only when we have received the written certificate that the product is suitable for contact with food is it released for sale!
Our partners for this are:
- TÜV-Rheinland, Cologne
- SGS Global Group
- Institut Fresenius
- Bureau Veritas
- Eurofins
Also tested for lead and cadmium
In September 2020, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment once again issued a statement on the topic of "Danger from lead in porcelain decors". Some glazes and decors contain heavy metals such as lead or cadmium. The problem is that these substances can leach out of the ceramic.
According to the Federal Institute, the quantities of heavy metals that end up in food depend, among other things, on the quality of the glaze, the temperature at which the ceramic was fired and the duration of contact with the crockery. The limit values for the release of lead and cadmium are regulated by the European (Ceramics) Directive (84/500/EEC).
The institute points out that high levels of lead or cadmium can migrate from ceramic plates into food. It therefore recommends that the current limit values be reduced even further.
For example, it is still unclear whether risks arise from short-term use or heating in the microwave. In principle, the use of everyday products such as crockery should not contribute at all to consumers' intake of heavy metals.
As can be seen here in the example of the laboratory test of 20 December 2020 of the porcelain series "Coral" (to be released in spring 2021), we at Holst Porzellan also have our tableware tested for lead content voluntarily and at a higher cost. We therefore take our responsibility for high-quality porcelain very seriously - because the true quality of a piece of tableware is not just its flawless appearance!
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