If you recently typed “lead in stainless steel” into a search bar with one hand while packing a lunch with the other, I get it.

As a mom of three, I’ve seen the fear and confusion around this question grow, and for good reason. Between social media warnings, product recalls, and vague labels, it’s hard to know what’s actually safe.

So let me tell you the truth as a pediatrician: Not all stainless steel is safe. And yes, some can contain lead.

That surprised me too. Stainless steel sounds like it should be solid, clean, reliable, and permanent. It has the word “stainless” in it, after all. But once I started looking deeper into manufacturing practices, things got murky fast. Some factories don’t trace their metal sources. Others mix in mystery scrap to save money. Then there’s the solder... don’t get me started on the solder.

I started Ahimsa so I’d never have to second-guess what’s in a child’s plate.

As a pediatrician stepping into the world of manufacturing, I had to learn everything from the ground up. I take it seriously, because every detail matters in kid’s health.

I’m excited to share all the behind-the-scenes lessons and what I’ve learned as a doctor looking at factories, supply chains, and safety standards to build something parents can truly trust.

This decision had nothing to do with business: It was a “mom couldn’t sleep until she fixed it” decision. I wanted dishes I’d trust in my own kitchen, dishes I’d use in a hospital NICU if I had to. That’s why every Ahimsa tray, cup, or utensil we make starts with medical knowledge and ends with parent peace of mind.

Want to know more? Check out our story and our products. 

Stainless steel shouldn’t contain lead. But unless the materials are fully traceable and tested, lead and other heavy metals can slip in through:

Many companies use low-cost recycled metal without knowing (or, in some cases, caring) where it came from. That scrap may include pipes, industrial waste, or even electronics that contain lead. And once it’s melted into a batch of steel, it’s still there even if you can’t see it. If there isn’t traceability and lab testing, these contaminated materials go straight into products for babies and children.

Here’s where things get sneaky. That low-cost scrap metal might’ve come from an old machine, a leaded pipe, or even discarded electronics. Once it’s tossed into the furnace, it becomes part of the steel forever. You can’t scrub it out or boil it off. If nobody tests that batch, that steel could show up in the next kid’s spoon.

Products with double-walls or bottom welds (like many water bottles and cups) often use solder to hold pieces together. That solder has historically contained lead , which can leach into food or drinks, especially when heated.

The seams are another story. Some manufacturers glue parts together with metal solder—especially on insulated bottles or anything with a hidden bottom. That solder used to include lead, and in some places it still does. When it gets warm, it doesn’t stay put. It moves into the food. Into the milk. Into whatever your kid is sipping from a shiny cup.

That’s why we skip seams altogether. No welds. No sneaky stuff tucked into the base. Clean metal, shaped into something safe, then tested again to be absolutely sure.

We’ve known for many years that lead is a neurotoxin. Even at very low levels, it can:

• Impair brain development
• Lower IQ
• Disrupt behavior, attention, and learning
• Increase the risk of chronic illness later in life

The CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics agree: There is no safe level of lead for children.

That’s not some cautious guess. That’s a scientific fact. A little bit of lead exposure may not seem like much, but it can build up fast — especially in kids under six. Their little bodies absorb more than ours do, and their brains are still wiring themselves up. The wrong trace amount at the wrong time can leave a mark that never fades.

That’s why, when it comes to steel, we need more than assumptions. We need proof.

Steel should be clean. No amount of lead is worth the risk, not in a baby spoon or a toddler cup or a preschooler’s lunch tray. This is where safety has to start.

I created Ahimsa to make sure my kids — and yours — could eat from plates I would trust in a hospital setting. That meant building every layer of the product for verifiable safety.

We started at the source. Not all steel is traceable. Ours is.

We don’t use mystery metal. Our stainless steel is:

• recycled and sourced from verified and audited suppliers
• Accompanied by material test certificates that document its full chemical composition

This traceability is critical. It means we know exactly where our steel came from, what’s in it, and that it’s lead-free — batch by batch.

I’ve seen metal labs up close. That certificate is a breakdown of every single element inside that steel. If a supplier can’t give us one, we don’t use their metal. That’s it.

At Ahimsa, our mission is simple but powerful: protect children’s health through safer mealtime materials. Founded by a pediatrician and built on science, we design every product with safety, durability, and long-term health in mind.

We use two types of stainless steel: 200-grade and 304-grade (18/8).

• 200-grade stainless steel is food-safe and tough enough for commercial kitchens. It resists corrosion and helped many families and schools break up with plastic.
• 304-grade stainless steel (18/8) is medical-grade. It performs better under stress—heat, acid, repeated cycles through the dishwasher. We now use this grade in all newly made Ahimsa products.

While grade matters, we go far beyond material labels. As a physician-founded company, we independently test all products – like our stainless steel plates and our baby utensils – for heavy metals, contaminants, and safety—starting with raw materials and continuing through manufacturing and even packaging. Our production partners are thoroughly vetted, and we’ve chosen to use GreenScreen® certified steel, the highest standard for human and environmental health.

We also simplified production. Moving to 304 across the board means less waste, fewer mix-ups & a cleaner system. But if your tray says 200-grade, you’re still covered. Every item passed through the same high standards, and every piece was built to last.

Our products are solid, single-wall construction with no double-wall vacuum layers or welded bases. That means:

• No filler materials
• No solder
• No hidden risk of lead or heavy metals

One solid sheet of steel, pressed into shape, no seams. Nothing sneaks in because there’s nowhere to hide.

We don’t rely on supplier promises. We go further, with third-party batch testing in accredited U.S. labs to screen for:

• Lead
• Cadmium
• Nickel migration
• Other heavy metal migration
• FDA and CPSIA safety compliance for children’s products

This is real data—not marketing fluff.

We get full lab reports before anything ships out. That’s the kind of proof every parent deserves.

Safety isn’t just about the steel.

It’s also about who makes the product and how they’re treated along the way.

We manufacture in facilities that meet international social compliance standards. That means:

• No child labor
• Fair wages
• Safe working conditions
• Annual compliance audits

Because protecting kids means protecting the people who make the products too.

In addition to safe plates, I wanted a process I could stand behind. That’s why we work with partners who take care of their workers — no shortcuts, no exploitation. If it wouldn’t feel right for my own family, it doesn’t fly in our supply chain.

And because I’m also a pediatrician, every Ahimsa plate is designed to teach nutrition, not just hold food. Our Balanced Bite Plate™ is a visual tool that helps kids learn how to fill their plates with a healthy balance of food — without lectures or pressure.

I’ve used these plates at home with my own kids. They can recognize what a full, healthy plate looks like without saying a word.

At the end of the day, parenting is overwhelming. And feeding your child shouldn’t come with hidden toxins or daily research projects.

That’s why I built Ahimsa:

To give you science-backed tools that you can trust — not just hope are safe. We literally take one more thing off your plate as a busy parent so you can focus on what’s on the plate and in investing in what happens decades from now.

You shouldn’t need a lab coat to buy a fork. You should feel confident that what touches your child’s food was made with care, tested with rigor, and built to last through every mealtime meltdown.

Food is health and starts with a clean plate — an Ahimsa plate!