Consumer Investigator Bebe Emerman reveals the dangers that may be lurking in the dishes you use every day.

This story started with a call from a consumer wanting to know what this meant: It's a warning label saying there was lead in her dishware.

Cheryl Donagon couldn't believe it: lead in dishes. She thought that was a thing of the past.

"I was surprised to see that there was still lead content in any of the dishes we would buy in a mainstream store," she said. "I had always assumed that everything was lead free."

It turns out California has its own warning sticker. It alerts consumers to lead content in dishware that's far below what the federal government says is OK.

But because dishes sold in California are also sold across the country, the warning labels are popping up in other states. It's an alert to shoppers that the dishes they're buying may contain lead.

"I didn't know anything about lead in dishes," Cheryl said.

Cheryl wanted to know how much lead might be in the dishes she's using, so we decided to find out. We checked places many of us shop every day: discount stores.

We tested nearly 20 pieces of tableware, one with the triangle-warning sticker on them and some without.

The first test was a lead-detecting swab that turned hot pink when rubbed over the decorated portions of a mug, a bowl and a children's plate. Pink indicates the presence of lead.

Three pieces, along with two painted drinking glasses were then sent to a lab for further testing.

The results were horrifying: A child's plate with a sheep decoration all over it leached 1,200 parts per million of lead.

That's way above what the Food and Drug Administration says is acceptable, which is only 3 parts per million.

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When Cheryl saw the results, she was stunned.

"That child's plate with no warning at all. It didn't have the yellow triangle or anything?"

Other moms we talked to at a play center were just as surprised.

"Little children will typically eat off the same plates four to five times a days because they have their own favorite," said one mom.

"It's just not safe, especially with kids," said another.

"That is such a high level that eating off that plate on a regular basis could pose a definite health risk to people," said Dr. Gina Solomon of the National Resources Defense Council.

But there's more.

A bowl with a rim decorated with flowers and fruit around the edges had a lead level of 230 parts per million.

Unacceptable, says this mom:

"The food can still hit that area. I mean, it's still right there; it's still around your food. It's like saying the trim of the paint around your door has lead but nowhere else, and that's OK 'cause a kid won't touch the trim of the door. But it's still there."

The Food and Drug Administration says it can't comment specifically on the results of these tests.

Bottom line: If you're concerned about lead on or in your dishes, get a lead swab kit to test them. They're available at most hardware stores. And throw out any dishware that cracked or chipped.