Tomatoes and historically lead intoxication have an interesting connection. Before tomatoes became a popular food in North America, they were actually feared and considered poisonous in Europe for more than 200 years. The fear stemmed from the belief that tomatoes, being part of the deadly nightshade family of plants, were toxic.

One of the reasons for this belief was the association between tomatoes and lead intoxication. It was believed that the acidic nature of tomatoes caused lead to leach from pewter plates, leading to lead poisoning when consumed. [As modern pewter contains no lead it is perfectly safe to eat and drink from, however older antique pieces of pewter may contain traces of lead. How can you tell? Pewter items containing lead will develop a greyish-black colouration or ‘patina’ on the surface.]

This misconception led to the blame being placed on the fruit itself rather than the plates.