It seems, if you live long enough, a study will be released on something that can kill you. Too much coffee, too little coffee, eggs- eat them, wait, no, don’t eat them. Drink enough water, but not too much, etc.
Recently, CBS News reported copper cocktail mugs may cause food poisoning, according to health officials.
The Iowa State Alcoholic Beverages Division examined the poisonous nature of copper and copper alloys mixing with food. The state agreed with the Food and Drug Administration’s Moral Food Code, which states copper is prohibited from coming in contact with foods or liquids with a PH below 6.0. Examples include vinegar, fruit juice and wine.
So, how did this come about? Well, Moscow Mules is becoming a trendy drink. The cocktail contains lime juice and is served in a copper mug. So, you can see the problem.
And recently, copper utensils, pots and mugs are on the rise. We checked several stores, including Target and Home Goods, and many sell copper mugs. But, here’s the deal. The FDA and Iowa health officials said it’s fine if the copper cup is lined with nickel or stainless steel. All the cups we found were lined with stainless steel or nickel. Thus, making them fine to drink from. Not sure, check the bottom of the cup, where it will clearly state “food-safe” and/or “stainless steel lining.”
A check on Amazon showed hundreds of options for copper mugs. And again, each listing gives you a choice of buying a stainless steel or no-lining mug. Stainless steel or nickel, again, is the safer option.
It’s important to note, the Centers for Disease Control said “ingesting high levels of copper can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and very high does can lead to death.” So, if you do decide to buy a no-ling mug, unless you drink from it all day, every day or eat the cup, you’ll most likely be fine.
And, on another note, if you are worried a restaurant or bar is serving a drink out of a copper mug with no-lining, simply ask or maybe, try a different vessel for your beverage.