Certified Professional Food Safety (CP-FS) Practice Exam

The primary risk of having lead in kitchen items, particularly enamelware, is chemical leaching into food. Lead is a toxic heavy metal that poses serious health risks when ingested. When lead-containing enamelware is used for cooking or storing food, especially acidic foods or beverages, there is a potential for lead to leach into the food. This leaching can occur when the enamel coating is damaged or if the item is heated.

Consuming even small amounts of lead can accumulate in the body over time and lead to various health issues, particularly affecting the nervous system, developmental delays in children, and other serious health problems. Ensuring that kitchenware, especially items that come into direct contact with food, is free from lead is crucial for food safety.

Other options, such as color fading, increased cooking time, or deterioration of the item, do not pose the same serious health risks as chemical leaching. While they may be concerns for consumers, they do not directly impact food safety in the way that lead leaching does.