Lead-Leaching Cookware Brands Given FDA Safety Warning: F...

By Amanda Greenwood

Associate News Editor

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued urgent warnings on November 24, 2025, expanding its previous list from August 2025 regarding imported cookware that may leach lead into food.

Why It Matters

Consumption or exposure to lead is unsafe for all ages, as it can cause neurological, developmental, and health issues, but it’s especially dangerous for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and other sensitive groups.

What To Know

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On November 24, the FDA updated its safety alert about imported cookware that may leach lead, adding nine additional products to a list that was first released in August. Most of the items have been recalled, others have been taken off the market.

The products, primarily made from aluminum, brass, or aluminum alloys, known as Hindalium/Hindolium or Indalium/Indolium, failed FDA and partner state tests—designed to imitate regular cooking scenarios—prompting this regulatory action.

The items include pots, pans, kadais (wide cooking pans), and other cookware that have been sold under brands such as Sonex, IKM, Silver Horse, and more.

The list, at the time of publishing, includes:

Sonex Aluminum Pot, sold at Alanwar Food Corp in New York
Tiger White Kadai/Karahi, sold at Mannan Supermarket in New York
IKM Aluminum Saucepan, Brass Tope, and Aluminum Kadai (size 5), sold in the India Metro Hypermarket, in California
IKM 4-Quart Pital Brass Pot, sold at the India Cash and Carry in California
Aluminum Hammered Kadai (size 7), sold at the Indian Supermarket in California
Brass Pot, sold at Santos Agency Inc., in California
Silver Horse Aluminum Coldero 28, Silver Horse Aluminum Degda 24, Silver Horse Aluminum Degda 20, and a Chef Milk Pan (24 cm), sold at Punjab Supermarket & Halal Meats in Maryland
2 qt Aluminum Saucepan and 3 qt Aluminum Saucepan, sold at Best Kitchen Supply in Washington
Royal Kitchen Cookware Milk Pan (size 3), sold at Subzi Bazaar in New Jersey
Dolphin Brand Aluminum Saucepan, sold at Al Monsoor Video Inc. and DBA Diya Handicrafts in Illinois
Silver Horse Aluminum Mathar Kadai and Silver Horse Milk Pan 4, sold at Patel Brothers in Illinois
JK Vallabhdas Aluminum Kadai, sold at India Co., in Illinois

A full and updated list of implicated products can also be found here.

The FDA has advised consumers to check for the listed products in their homes and immediately discard them if they’re found. Retailers should discontinue all sales of these products and ensure they comply with FDA safety regulations.

Anyone with health concerns about possible lead exposure should contact a healthcare provider.

The FDA also emphasized that the list may grow, as its surveillance and testing of imported cookware continues. Some items may still be for sale because certain distributors couldn’t be identified, and the FDA continues to strongly advise against their use, even if available in stores.

What People Are Saying

The FDA said in its official announcement: “Young children, women of childbearing age, and those who are breastfeeding may be at higher risk for potential adverse events after eating food cooked using these products.”

It also said that: “Consuming food with elevated lead levels can contribute to elevated levels of lead in the blood. At higher levels of lead exposure, people may experience fatigue, headaches, stomach pain, vomiting, or neurologic changes.”