"There are FDA limits, it must be tested before it ships."
The FDA's leach-test action levels (3.0 µg/mL for flatware, 0.5 µg/mL for cups and mugs) are real rules written into federal law. What is not real: the inspection. The FDA does not test ceramics at the port. They accept a self-certification from the importer, with no independent verification of the lot that actually shipped. Follow-up happens only after someone documents harm. Nearly every ceramic recall in the past decade started with a consumer complaint, not a port inspector.
