How to choose the right children's tableware

As parents, we should not only buy various toys for our children, but also buy safe tableware for them. When you go out to the store you are faced with a lot of different choices, there are a lot of different children's cutlery. Some have beautiful shapes and some are beautifully printed, so you start to wonder which material is the safest? There are so many questions running through your mind. To help you escape the dilemma of having too many choices when you're in the difficult position of making a decision, here are some tips for you parents on how to choose the right tableware for your kids.

In general, there are several different materials for making tableware - plastic, melamine, ceramic, stainless steel, stone imitation. But for safety reasons we exclude ceramic or glass for your child.

Plastic is usually made from polymer polymerization (PP), which is a safe material according to the FDA and it is cheaper than stainless steel. I have been to plastic manufacturers' workshops and during the manufacturing process, the factory never lets You know they add solvents, plasticizers, toners, etc., and some even use recycled plastic to update their products in exchange for lower costs. These recycled plastics have certain toxicity, and most importantly, the plastics tend to adhere to oil and are difficult to clean, so they are not ideal materials.

Now let's turn to melamine, the material itself is toxic melamine and not safe at all. The reason why it can pass FDA and LFGB relies on a transparent coating on the surface of the product. It prevents melamine material from coming into direct contact with your food. You'll find that melamine tableware comes in glossy colors because the coating reflects light. Without a coating it would be 100% toxic. If the coating is damaged, throw it away and do not feed your baby with it again.

Stainless steel is a better choice for child feeding. But even with stainless steel, there are still some things you need to learn. Just choose 18/8 or 304 stainless steel, only SS304 is 100% food safe. SS304 is an austenitic stainless steel. Don't choose 201 stainless steel or 400 series stainless steel. They are more prone to rust and are not safe at all. Unlike SS304, both SS201 and SS400 series are martensitic stainless steels. You may have questions, how can I tell which one is SS304? There are two methods. One is to read the material description on the package, and the other is to take a small magnet. If the metal attracts the magnet, it proves that it is martensitic stainless steel and should not be purchased. If the metal does not attract the magnet, then austenitic stainless steel - SS304, you are holding the correct product.

Stone imitation porcelain tableware is a green and environmentally friendly material that has attracted people's attention in recent years. The material is green, healthy, environmentally friendly, non-toxic, resistant to falling and high temperatures, recyclable and reusable, does no harm to our earth, is suitable for microwave heating, and can be safely placed in the dishwasher disinfection cabinet. Happily, more and more parents are choosing stone imitation porcelain tableware as their first choice for their babies.