important ceramics info

important information about our hand-illustrated ceramic pieces

I use Pebeo Porcelaine 150 products to apply original illustrations to the surface of existing ceramic (stoneware + porcelain) pieces. This material is heat-cured and extremely durable. If the ceramic piece itself is dishwasher safe, the design is also dishwasher safe. Of course, for extended life of your design, please consider gentle handwashing instead. These Pebeo mediums are also certified non-toxic. However, the product packaging information states that it is "not recommended for use on surfaces that come in contact with food". For our mugs, planters, and dishes with exterior design only, or if you are using your dish(es) for decorative purposes only, no additional thought is needed.

However, if you purchased your dishes for food use, please make sure you have read + understood the following. these are a couple of Pebeo's formal statements on the medium:

Porcelaine 150 paints have been given the ASTM D-4236 seal of approval by Duke University, they are completely free of any hazardous materials. They hold the AP Seal of non-toxicity from ACMI and they conform to toy standard 71.3, and are deemed safe for use by children. The Porcelaine 150 paints, outliners and markers contain NO lead or cadmium, they are water based and contain only NON-TOXIC materials. Inadvertent contact with food or drink is not a health hazard. Any decorative or utilitarian pieces may be painted. Paint the exterior of a drink container, and on a dinner plate, it is
recommended that you paint around the perimeter of the plate. If you paint the center of the plate, a steak knife or other utensil could damage your design. If a painted design becomes damaged by a sharp object, rough edges may be left on the surface. It is not approved for food or drink containers.
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The paint has been tested at Duke University, and was reported non-toxic and food safe for food contact. Though the paint is non-toxic, it is not recommended for use on a dinner plate because sharp objects, such as a steak knife, could damage the design and bacteria could potentially become trapped in cracks caused by utensils. However, the paint itself is not harmful to ingest even if scraped off. The reason the paint is not currently FDA approved is cost. The cost for FDA approval is approximately $50,000 per paint color, which Pebeo may pursue at a future time.

I have done a serious amount of research on this, and the consensus seems to be that for finger food (read: no chance for the surface design to get scratched/altered) this is deemed quite safe. I personally feel extremely comfortable eating snack foods (especially dry items) off these plates (and continue to do so), but liquid contact may be a less guaranteed safe option. And if you want to guarantee that you are 100% safe that would mean no food contact at all.

I strive for the highest of quality in all items that i make + sell, and customer safety + satisfaction is extremely important to me. I am so sad that there is even an inkling of doubt in the complete safety in using some of items that i was so excited to launch. So, while I research more permanent options for this type of designs, for anyone who may be disappointed at not feeling comfortable using their pieces for food -- especially spoons -- I'm making the following offer:

2013 refund/replacement offer
If you purchased a ceramic piece from migration goods in the winter of 2013 for food use and do not feel comfortable doing so, I am offering an "upgrade" to an item of equal (or up to 25% more in) value that is 100% food-safe (no illustrations on food surfaces) to replace your item(s).

please email migrationgoods[AT]gmail[DOT]com with a photo of the item(s) you purchased and I will give you your replacememt options. you may also return your items for a full refund.