Vitamix Black Specks: what are they and should you worry?

2019 Update: People are talking about this again because Vitamix settled a class action lawsuit. Vitamix updated their bearing seal design in 2015/2016. That means any Vitamix you buy direct is not affected by the black specks issue.


Vitamix black specks floating in waterSome readers have written in asking about black specks coming from Vitamix containers. (aka black flecks, dust, particles, or residue.) After investigating, I’ve decided that this is not a major problem, and I’d like to share why. Disclosure: I have an affiliate relationship with Vitamix (among other companies), which means that if someone makes a purchase after clicking one of my links, I may receive a commission. However, the information on this site is fully independent from Vitamix. This page contains everything I could find out about the black specks. Also note that I am a daily Vitamix user, so I wanted to objectively assess the risk for myself.

The Vitamix black specks issue was brought to light in a number of web forums last year (2014). If you run a Vitamix on high with water only, and then pour the water into a white bowl or plate, with some containers you may see tiny black specks floating in the water.

I ran this test on my two main containers, and found no specks from a 32-oz container, and a few tiny specks with a G-Series 64-oz container. However, apparently all containers are equally likely to shed the specks: some do, some don’t.

After talking with a number of Vitamix employees about the black specks, I am not concerned about ingesting them.

The specks are coming from the bearing seal, and they are made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). You may be more familiar with the name Teflon, which is a DuPont brand name for their PTFE.

Are the Vitamix black specks unhealthy?

Most of us bought a Vitamix at least partially for health concerns, and ingesting black specks coming off your blender does not sound healthy.

However, PTFE is one of the most inert materials. Inert means that it does not react with anything, which is part of why it is such a good non-stick surface. PTFE’s inert nature means that ingesting it is safe—it will pass through you unchanged, without harming you.

In fact, PTFE is used in a number of implanted medical devices.

But what about the bad things you may have heard about Teflon? There are two scientifically based concerns that I’d like to touch on, although neither of them is relevant to Vitamix containers.

PTFE releases toxic fumes when heated above ~500°F

This is why you should be careful about preheating non-stick pans. However the Vitamix bearing seal never gets anywhere near that hot because it is in thermal contact with your food. If you were to run your Vitamix with nothing in it for a LONG time (over 5 minutes?), the bearings would heat up, but I think the container would melt well before the PTFE started off-gassing. (The container is made of Tritan copolyester, which starts to soften at ~250°F.)

Teflon used to be made using toxic Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)

PFOA was previously used in the PTFE manufacturing process. It was associated with disease in factory workers, and it was also found as an environmental contaminant. However, PFOA was not found in significant levels in finished PTFE products. Moreover, DuPont stopped using PFOA in 2013. It’s easy to confuse PTFE and PFOA, since they are both strange-sounding four-letter chemical acronyms starting with P, but PFOA is no longer a concern for PTFE.

I mention these two genuine Teflon health concerns because they may be lingering in people’s minds. However, neither of them affects the Vitamix bearing seals.

The Environmental Working Group is tough on dangerous or questionable chemicals. Here’s what they say about ingesting PTFE particles: “Ingesting particles that flake off scratched non-stick cookware isn’t toxic because solid PTFE flakes are inert.” If we want to worry about toxic chemicals, I think auto pollution or the flame retardants in couches are worth thinking about.

Why does Vitamix use PTFE in the bearing seal?

In addition to being inert, PTFE is one of the most slippery materials. Slippery means low friction, which means that the high-speed bearings run more efficiently than they would with other materials. The only tradeoff is that PTFE has lower wear resistance than other materials. I suspect that lower wear resistance explains why we can sometimes detect the tiny black specks from Vitamix containers.

Do the black specks affect the longevity of the bearing seal?

I believe the answer is no, for two reasons:

  1. The specks are so small that they don’t add up to a significant volume of material.
  2. According to the Vitamix employees I have spoken to, the PTFE seal is not a new component on Vitamix containers. That is, they’ve been using PTFE seals for many years, without seeing significant problems. It seems that the new development is that people started running the water and white bowl test last year and started detecting the specks. I know of Vitamix containers that have been going strong since the mid 90s. Also, remember that new machines come with a 5 or 7-year warranty.

Why hasn’t Vitamix released a public statement?

I believe the reason is that they have determined that there is no health risk. I suspect that they do not want to have to explain why PTFE is not as scary as it might sound more than they have to. It took Vitamix a few months to communicate to all of their customer service associates, but now if you call and ask, the associates will tell you the nature of the black specks.

I trust Vitamix about the material of the particles. Vitamix is quite concerned about their consumers’ well being, as they demonstrated in their fast-moving voluntary blade recall in 2013.

In addition to not being a health problem, the black specs are not visible under normal blending conditions, so they won’t harm the aesthetics of your blends.

If these explanations do not put you at ease, you of course don’t have to buy a Vitamix. One side note is that all high-speed blenders use these PTFE seals, and the black specks have been found in all the top brands. Perhaps you’d rather go for some Stone Age technology?

Conclusion

For these reasons, I am not worried about the black specks, and I’m continuing to use my containers, even though I detected the black particles in one of them.

Finally, if you’re shopping for a Vitamix, perhaps you’d like to learn about the differences between all the Vitamix models. And, have you heard about the high value offered by Certified Reconditioned Vitamix machines?


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Comments

Vitamix Black Specks: what are they and should you worry? — 81 Comments

  1. You talk about how they don’t use PFOA to make Teflon, but its part of the process of making PTFE. “However, PFOA was not found in significant levels in finished PTFE products.” BUT its used to make it. Why would it have any levels in it? It don’t think anyone should be ingesting anything made with these products. I would read this article here: http://www.cancerdefeated.com/newsletters/Teflon-Update-Worse-than-We-Thought.html. Let me know how safe you feel using your vitamix container now.

    • PFOA was previously used in the manufacturing process of various PTFE products. However, after pressure from the EPA, manufacturers have agreed to stop using PFOA by 2015 (and DuPont stopped using PFOA in the manufacture of fluoropolymers in 2013). Note that this pressure was on behalf of factory workers and communities with contaminated water supplies, not consumers being poisoned by PFOA.

      I took a look at the article you linked. A few points:
      -It’s from 2012, before the PFOA phase-out was complete.
      -The concerns it raises about PFOA are environmental contaminant concerns, not product contaminant concerns (PFOA in drinking water near a DuPont plant in Ohio and West Virgina and PFOA found in marine life and polar bears).
      -The product-related concerns it rehashes are about dangers to birds from heating Teflon to high temperatures. The Vitamix does not reach those temperatures.

      So I still feel safe using my Vitamix containers.

  2. When I first read this, I thought it was an ad for Vitamix. I really couldn’t believe someone was fine with ingesting particles of PTFE. I’m not surprised the company says it is perfectly fine, but I think we all need to think for ourselves.

    I was going to buy a Vitamix until I found out about the “black specks.” I do hope you will do more research, and listen to your inner voice. I think nowadays people have forgotten how to do that. Then I hope you will remove this article, because others may follow your example. Good luck with your health.

    • I did research PTFE before publishing this article, and I placed links throughout…. What is your concern about PTFE? I addressed the main concerns that I know of in the article. 

      I think it’s interesting to think about what you mean by “listen to your inner voice.” That could mean following your gut instinct without considering facts, which I do not think is useful when it comes to science and health. You are welcome to follow your negative gut reaction, but I will try to stay rational. Inner voice could also mean listening to your conscience, and my conscience tells me to value empirical evidence, so in that sense I am listening to my inner voice.

      • I’m sorry, but do you really want to pay hundreds of dollars for a blender that releases any kind of material in your food??
        I bought a Vitamix to make healthy smoothies and nut milks for my family, and do not want to add any extraneous materials to it. It kind of defeats the point or trying to only feed my family healthy, organic food!!!
        I am returning my Vitamix.

        • All I can say is that I have every reason to believe that the material is safe, and it is a tiny amount of material. The only reason that it is detectable is because it floats and contrasts well with a white background (when blended in water only).

          • You keep saying the particles aren’t detectable. What does this have to do with the fact that they are being found in vitamix customers food? The links you provide do not explain whether the particles are harmful or not long term. If someone owns the same blender for 20 years like vitamix says some of them last and it continues to release these particles thats a defect whether harmful or not. Its bad enough vitamix doesnt offer anything but plastic containers (saying consumers prefer plastic on their fb page) but ingesting anything man made in food is unattractive at the very least. Whether the particles are detectable, undetectable, healthy or unhealthy it should not be happening when investing 500+ dollars for a kitchen tool thats supposed to enhance your wellbeing and enjoyment. Hopefully you are one of the few who dismiss an issue like this so quickly.. just thinking about it is repulsive and enough to ruin an experience.. not to mention the value. Some people work and save for months to purchase a vitamix thinking it’s a quality investment. Your reaction doesn’t sound genuine coming from someone getting vitamix products for free while being paid to promote the company they are trying defending. I MIGHT look past a few specs if I received a free vitamix or two but that’s not the case for anyone else who actually pays for one.

          • Darrell, did you see the update at the top of this page? New Vitamix machines are shipping with an updated container that does not shed the black particles. And if you already have a machine that sheds the particles, you can call up Vitamix and they will take care of you.

      • But WHY are you ok with a blender injecting anything into your food that isn’t meant to be there? It doesn’t have to be this way.

        • Any time anything contacts your food there is the potential for the food to be changed in some way, or for some new material to end up in your food. If that change is harmless, then I don’t worry about it. I answered your other question below.

  3. I called Vitamix today because I too was poised to buy one until I learned of the black specks and I found conflicting information on different sites. I asked what the material was that was causing the specks and said I’d seen that it was PTFE or PFOA and I couldn’t find anything on their website regarding the problem and how they are addressing it. I was told it was a plant based material and I had to push for the actual material used. I was told the o-rings and seals are made of synthetic rubber called buna and that the speck issue is rare. I wasn’t impressed with the customer service agent especially after hearing rave reviews about support but I did at least confirm that if there is an issue with specks they will send out a new jar and a shipping label to return the old one. I guess I will wait a bit because I really don’t like the Blendtec my daughter bought.

    • I called Vitamix today to see if they had changed their tune. I asked about the black specks and what they are made of, and the representative was upfront about them being PTFE. So this is not a company-wide change in explanation. Perhaps you spoke with someone who was new and not fully briefed on this issue.

      • I called Vitamix again and talked to someone that seems to have been around longer and I was assured that they would exchange the canister if mine was affected by the issue. I decided to buy the unit. I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of my 7500. 🙂

    • I just received my Vitamix 7500 today and the first thing I did was run the water test and there were no black specks. 🙂 I’ve only made a smoothy and reprocessed almond milk so far but I’m really impressed with my Vitamix so far. The almond milk was not only smoother but smelled better due to more of the almond being broken down. I was surprised by how quiet it is; my little Oster makes more noise. Anyway I recommend not letting the possibility of black specks stop you from purchasing the Vitamix as they will work with you if you’re affected and it may not even be am issue. As a side note if you want more color options and an extended payment option buy through QVC; that’s how I got my blue Vitamix.

  4. What’s crazy about this is that rather than change their design to cover the bearing seal (as other blenders such as the Dash appear to do), Vitamix’s answer is that people should just ingest this stuff and not worry about it. Even if it is harmless – there’s no reason it has to be this way.

    • I have heard that Vitamix is in fact working on an update that will stop the black specks. (Even though I don’t believe the particles are unsafe, there are enough people who are upset about them that it makes sense for Vitamix to try to get rid of them.)

      I believe the reason that it is taking a while is because Vitamix wants to do extensive testing of any new design or material. Vitamix warranties machines for 5 or 7 years (and they want people to be able to use Vitamix machines for much longer), so they want to make sure that any change lasts as well as the current design/material. I heard a rumor that the update will be ready by the end of this year, but I don’t know for certain.

  5. Thank you for this update. I think your readers should keep several things in mind as they evaluate the claims made here for themselves.

    One, Vitamix blenders were not advertised to add extraneous material to their users’ food. Regardless of the scientific merits of the claims of chemical inertness, not a single owner of Vitamix was informed of this property of the blenders upon purchase. Had they been previously aware, I reckon that many would not have purchased it. This alone is a breach of consumer expectation. It is further aggravating that they CONTINUE to remain silent.

    Two, follow the money. Of course it is in Vitamix’s interest to keep a low profile on this, as recalls, exchanges, returns, and lost sales are all costly for them. Thus there is a direct incentive not to fully own up to the black dust issue.

    Third, follow the money again. Bloggers such as you, Blender Dude, Blender Babes etc. count on affiliate referrals for income. Whenever someone clicks a link from these blogs and purchases a blender, that is money for the blogger. Please don’t take this to mean that I think you’re a dishonorable person or anything of the sort. My point is simply that a financial incentive exists for you not to paint a completely impartial picture, and that readers should be aware of that.

    • Vitamix is very serious about customer satisfaction, and I believe they are relatively unique in the extent to which they will go to maintain it. If you get the black specks and are unhappy with them, they will cheerfully exchange your container. They also have their no-questions-asked 30-day return policy. It is not a published policy, but I have heard cases where Vitamix offered a full refund even after the 30 days for people who were upset about black specks.

      There are countless properties of products that are not advertised. If a property is not a feature of the product, you cannot expect a company to advertise it. As far as warnings about negative aspects, if there is no potential demonstrable harm I think it is unreasonable to expect a company to make a warning.

      Also, Vitamix is not remaining silent on the issue. If you call them up, they will explain the status. (Admittedly there was a previous commenter who mentioned that the person at Vitamix she talked to did not explain the black speck situation, but I believe that is an exception rather than the norm.)

      As far as Vitamix’s interest in this issue, I think it’s worth looking back at how they handled the blade recall in 2013. If you are not familiar with that situation, Vitamix recalled 169,000 containers after 18 blades broke (with no reported injuries). In addition to covering shipping both ways, they also gave affected owners bonus gifts (cookbook and apron) and extended their warranty by an extra year.

      My point is that if this were a serious problem, they would treat it seriously, even if it were expensive to do. (And they in fact have a financial incentive to do so, because so many of their sales are driven by positive word-of-mouth.) As it is, the black specks do not present any apparent risk. However, since there are a number of people like yourself who are extremely concerned about the black specks, Vitamix is reportedly working towards getting rid of them. However, they do not want to make a quick fix that could undermine their high quality, which is why I believe it is taking a while to release the update.

      As to my financial incentive, it is true that I make money if people buy products after clicking links on my site. However, I am not hiding anything here. I’ve continued to use my Vitamix container even after detecting a small quantity of black specks. Further, I made a strong effort to fully reference the statements about the safety of the PTFE particles—nowhere did I ask readers to just trust me that the particles are safe. Finally, please note that I am welcoming other opinions on this page. If I wanted to try to sweep things under the rug, it would be extremely easy for me to delete comments that challenged my viewpoint.

      Please also realize that I am providing this website completely free of charge to anyone who wants to view it. I hate websites that bombard you with ads, so I don’t do that. Affiliate referral income allows me to dedicate time to running the site.

  6. I’m wondering if there has been any numbers reported showing the ratio of jars that produce these specks to those that don’t. I want to get a Vitamix, but I personally don’t want to buy a $500+ machine that is adding something to my food that I don’t want to (and shouldn’t) be there. Does the prevalence lean towards a high probability that I would get a unit that does this?

    • There is a range of different amounts of black specks that come off. I don’t know about the ratio of specks to no specks, but my guess is that if you are looking for a container with completely undetectable specks, that is probably a low chance at this point. If you are OK with a tiny amount of specks, then the chances of getting such a container are high.

      Note that if you are unsatisfied with any specks, Vitamix will exchange the container for you or give you a refund. They are also reportedly working on an updated seal that they are hoping to roll out later this year.

  7. Can you link to any controlled in vivo studies demonstrating the effects of PTFE, or at least to a MSDS that acknowledges consumption risk?

    • I do not know of in vivo studies specifically studying effects of PTFE. I did a PubMed search, and the results are swamped by all of the papers that use PTFE implants of one type or another. I think the fact that PTFE has been safely used in implanted medical devices for decades is reassuring.

      As far as MSDS’s go, I took a look. One thing to watch out for is that there are two forms of PTFE that are extremely hazardous: when it is heated above 300–400°C, and when it is in a powder/dust that can be inhaled (neither of which is relevant for the Vitamix issue). Some of the MSDS’s that I saw did not fully specify these conditions when listing hazards. However, here are two that do, that describe PTFE (below 300°C) as harmless by contact and ingestion:
      http://www.icorally.com/pdf/ProFLO/MSDS-PTFE.pdf
      http://www.aussiefrogs.com/forum/attachments/froggy-chat/51806d1389443771-new-hydrophopic-spray-polytetrafluoroethylene.pdf

      • I did a PubMed search too, but I don’t believe this is the best resource for toxicology. The fact that PTFE is used in medical devices is good evidence that it doesn’t cause substantial immediate harm, but it is not evidence of long-term safety. (You know the adage, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.) Guts in particular are complex and surprising places… see this week’s paper in Nature on carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, two common food additives, inducing gut inflammation. Now I have NO romantic feelings about the state of nature and have nothing against “chemicals” per se (I’m a bio researcher and prof), but I’d at least like to see evidence that PTFE-ingesting mammals can do as well as control groups over reasonable time scales.

        FWIW, I’m more cynical than you that market incentives make Vitamix assume complete liability. Lots of products roll off the shelves with volatile carcinogens, but no one eats these costs. It takes years to decades to demonstrate some forms of negligence, and companies might safe hiding behind (sorry to mix metaphors) some veils of ignorance.

        • What do you believe to be the best resource for toxicology? This is outside my realm of experience. I briefly searched and came across what looks like a pretty good resource: TOXNET. They have a decent entry on PTFE. It’s mostly about the nasty things that happen if you breath the fumes that come off if it’s heated above 300°C (apparently the biggest problem was people smoking cigarettes that had been contaminated with PTFE dust). There is one entry on ingestion of PTFE: “NO TOXICITY WAS OBSERVED IN MALE & FEMALE RATS FED POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE FOR 90 DAYS, EVEN WITH A LEVEL OF 25% IN THE DIET.”

          • MALE & FEMALE RATS FED POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE FOR 90 DAYS, [upto] A LEVEL OF 25% IN THE DIET.

            That must have made for some well lubed rat poop. Glides right out.

  8. After reviewing all the information on the web regarding the black specks issue, I decided to buy a Vitamix for the following reasons:
    1. The containers comply with international safety standards, and were tested by independent labs.
    2. PTFE is very inert as Adam stated and therefor safe. I don’t really agree that this material would be used for medical if it wasn’t proven safe in long term testing.
    3. Talked to Vitamix about it. The container won’t release more than 0.02 gram in all of it’s life cycle (12000 uses)!!!, and it is far far lower than what’s allowed. If you use it twice a day, in 15 years you will consume still less than 0.02 gram all together!
    4. It happens in all the high end blenders. This is why there isn’t another company that says that there blender don’t have it. If you see something in YouTube don’t believe it immediately. You need to test many containers to prove it.
    5. Over the years so many people got over serious disease with the help of their Vitamix. The insignificant amount of PTFE was not an issue for them.
    6. In regards to material, I trust Vitamix more than brands from the east, since it is manufactured in USA.
    7. Right now, I am much more worried about ingesting / breathing the air near the road, which has proven un-noticeable toxic particles, than the infinitely small amount of hardly noticeable non Toxic inert material from the Vitamix container.
    8. Just because I am very concerned for my family’s health, I wanted to buy a power blender, and I felt that currently Vitamix was my best choice.
    9. I truly understand why Vitamix are making efforts to take care of this issue, although it happens in other blenders too. As I see it, it is more psychological, but still an issue. I don’t think I will replace the container when they offer a new one without the black specks, but as they will probably offer to exchange in very good terms, I would probably do it just for the renovation.

    • “3. Talked to Vitamix about it. The container won’t release more than 0.02 gram in all of it’s life cycle (12000 uses)!!!, and it is far far lower than what’s allowed. If you use it twice a day, in 15 years you will consume still less than 0.02 gram all together!”

      I can assure you that’s not the case! I blended my 7500 for maybe 10 min total and had *easily* 0.2 g. I have photos. I’m a scientist and know masses. Moreover, there was not a substantial reduction in the amount produced in the last minute of blending. I was hoping for some dramatic decline.

      You appear strongly (oddly?) pro-Vitamix. Brevilles do not have the same reputation for producing PTFE. I’ll be comparing mine to the Vitamix.

      • Hi Sarah,

        I looked closely at several blenders when doing my research and one review site was raving about the Breville but other than that site everywhere I looked there were an abundance of comments about it breaking/burning out in a short period or time and it having a low blend quality. I just thought I’d share why I crossed it off my list. I have found mention on a number of sites that all the high end blenders have a black spot issue but I haven’t been in a position to confirm it. Mainly I’d say to make sure you know what the warranty policy is and trial period in which it can be returned because I was considering a Blendtec too since many sites say it’s comparable to Vitamix then my daughter moved back home and I tried hers. It does no better than my little Oster blender which was profoundly disappointing. I took the plunge and ordered a Vitamix 7500. I feel confident they will replace the container(s) as needed until I have an unaffected container and they will work with me on the trial period if my ability to use the machine is impeded but such issues. Also I was assured they are very close to having a solution to the problem. I spent many hours researching blender options and if I can help another in any way that would be nice. I hope this is helpful to you.

        • Thanks for your help, Susan. The Breville BBL910XL has a seven-year warranty. I’ll compare its performance (read: particle output) to my 7500, which I plan to return. (I’m not sure why you think some tops won’t have problems when others will, unless you think they swapped out the ring material recently.) I might sell the Breville and buy a Vitamix when/if they fix the PTFE problem.

          • Hi Sarah,

            Many sources including Vitamix have said the black speck issue occurs in some containers and not in others with the majority not being affected. I’m hoping I mine isn’t affected but I also made sure to inquire as to how exactly they would handle it if my container produces the specks, what the turn around time would be to get a replacement and how that would affect my 30 day trial period. I flat out asked if due to poor luck I have to swap out a few containers before getting one that isn’t affected and it’s the third week of my trial period, will they adjust my trial period and I was told yes. As a result I feel confident in my purchase. The representative I spoke with the other day indicated they are close to having a fix which would be great but I don’t know what the timeline is for it. I encourage you to return your container and try again but most of all I hope you find a solution that works for you and that you feel comfortable with.

      • I don’t think the mass of the particles matters since I believe they are inert. On the other hand, if you believe they may be unsafe in some undiscovered way, what difference does it make if their mass is 2 g or 2 mg?

        That said, I am compelled to challenge these statements:
        “I blended my 7500 for maybe 10 min total and had *easily* 0.2 g. I have photos. I’m a scientist and know masses.”

        1) Unless you have experience with weighing/quantifying PTFE particles, (which, I am guessing, you, as a biology professor, do not) I doubt that you can accurately judge the mass of the floating particles by eye. Even if you’ve weighed out gram/milligram quantities of chemicals countless times, that does not mean that these particles would appear to be a comparable amount. My suspicion is that they look bigger than they actually are for a couple reasons: they may be shaped like shards with high surface area to volume, they are high contrast with black against a white background, and they are concentrated on the surface of the water in a single layer.
        2) Let’s run through some numbers here: you say you had “*easily* 0.2 g.” How much could the bearing seal possibly weigh? The blade assembly uses two bearings, and you can see the bottom one if you turn your container over and look closely. The seal is roughly the size of a penny (with a hole punched out of the middle, and it’s probably thinner too, but let’s round up to a whole penny….) A penny weighs 2.5 g, and is ~7 g/mL. PTFE is ~2 g/mL, so a penny-sized piece of PTFE weighs 0.7 grams. At your claimed wear rate a penny-sized seal would be completely gone after 35 minutes of blending. Without the seal, the bearing would fail. A medium home user of a Vitamix could easily rack up 35 minutes of blending in a month. Vitamix bearings do sometimes fail, but in home use they almost always last many years. Also consider smoothie and coffee shops: busy shops easily surpass 35 minutes of blending in a day, and they are not changing out their bearings daily. Further, the bearing would fail before the seal entirely disintegrated: it just has to leak in one spot.

        It’s true that if you really did wear all the way through a seal, the wear rate wouldn’t necessarily be constant. But the order of magnitude that you’re reporting is not consistent with bearings being able to stand up to reasonable use.

        It’s also true that I have not seen your machine. Maybe you have a particularly delicate seal that is falling apart much faster than the average one, and maybe it would wear through if you ran it for another 25 minutes. However, I find that on the extremely unlikely side.

        • Adam, you’re using the term “inert” quite widely. Just because something is inert doesn’t mean it’s not harmful. For example, certain pesticides are inert for some pests, but deadly to others. That doesn’t mean they won’t harm humans. The post you linked to about PTFE being inert doesn’t state that it’s safe for human consumption. Also note that consumption is very different than being in contact with your bodily organs. I can have a stainless steel implant – doesn’t mean I would ingest it.

          • I’ll address your two examples separately because I believe they are different.

            When you say that “certain pesticides are inert for some pests, but deadly to others,” that is a different usage of the word “inert.” When I use the word inert, I mean chemically non-reactive. In the realm of pesticides, inert can mean non-harmful. (I found a nice explanation on Wikipedia.) If you take inert to mean non-harmful, then yes it depends on the organism and means of exposure, but I believe that is an uncommon use of the word, and not what I meant.

            PTFE at room temperature is more inert (chemically non-reactive) than nearly anything, including stainless steel (note that there are a range of different stainless steels, some less reactive than others). Strong acids, such as nitric or sulfuric, and strong oxidizers, such as bleach, will corrode stainless steel, but will not react with PTFE.

            Now, it is possible that something that is chemically non-reactive could still be harmful. I am aware of a few types of physical risks of swallowing non-reactive objects: obstruction of GI tract (usually would require larger than 2.5 cm) or perforation by something sharp or multiple strong magnets. You could probably consume the entire bearing seal in one go without any problems. The size of these particles is tiny (<~1mm). Toddlers eat sand, and it passes right through them without harm (as long as the sand is clean). I searched a bit and found reference to eating sand being a problem in dogs that ended up with handful-sized clumps of sand in their stomach. To get to that sort of problem with PTFE particles, you would have to blend up a PTFE smoothie (which would probably require hundreds of bearing seals' worth). Not sure if you saw it, but I posted in reply to a previous comment that I found a study that studied ingestion of PTFE in rats. It didn't do anything to them, even when it made up 25% of their diet! As for ingesting your stainless steel implant, it would really depend on the shape and size. If we're talking an artificial hip---no way, but a few (non magnetic!) ball bearings would be fine. But again, that is much more material than we're talking about with the Vitamix particles.

    • Also, you wrote that 0.02 g over its lifetime is “far lower than what’s allowed.” What are you talking about? I’ve not been able to find established limits for PTFE ingestion anywhere. I doubt they exist.

  9. Just tested this with my brand new Vitamix tnc 5200 and found those black specks :/ I did the same water test for three times and found those specks each time.. oh crap 🙁

    • Bummer! My brand new 7500 didn’t have any issues. Call Vitamix and they will send you a new container that you can test. Usually I’m an optimist but when I was deciding whether to buy I flat out asked the representative what would happen if it took a few tries before I had a usable container; would they restart the trial period? When he said yes that clinched the deal for me. I’ve read it many times and now I’m one of the many saying that I love my Vitamix and I’m already thoroughly spoiled after only a week and half of use. I encourage you to request a replacement container; it will be well worth it. 🙂

  10. What about the “dry” container Vitamix has? No liquid is involved when using it. And the fumes from the dry canister could be problematic.

    • Are you talking about fumes from heating PTFE due to there not being liquid in the dry container to keep it cool? As I mentioned in the post, “The container is made of Tritan copolyester, which starts to soften at ~250°F.” That means that the container would probably be destroyed before the seal started forming dangerous fumes. Also, under normal use (grinding flour for up to a minute), I don’t think the bearings get above 150°F. There’s some debate about what temperature PTFE makes dangerous fumes at: the lowest I’ve seen is 325°F, and many sources consider it safe up to 500°F.

  11. After finding these black “shards” coming from a recently purchased reconditioned 6300, I did a Google search and stumbled on this site. I actually didn’t know of this problem, thought I was buying a top-notch blender, and am now resoundingly disappointed.

    I have a hard time with what I’m seeing here, despite a few people above with an ‘it’s not so bad’ take on the situation. Fact is, if Vitamix had to turn around and replace every every blender jar with this problem, it’s entirely conceivable they could go under, or at a minimum, suffer a major financial impairment. Given that, combined with trust in corporate America at historic lows, I don’t find the expectation that they’d be entirely forthcoming on concerns related to this issue to be reasonable or credible.

    However, when I see a video on YouTube with the Vitamix Board of Directors all drinking a glass of water with these shards in it every day for a year, I might consider not returning mine. Until then, frankly, I think you’d have to be nuts to continue with this product, especially if, like me, you have two toddlers at home.

    • I wouldn’t want myself or my family drinking them either and it was a serious concern for me as well. Vitamix will replace your container. It is apparently an issue in a small percentage of containers. Their willingness to replace the container at their cost (shipping) and their willingness to extend the trial period if needed were key to my choice to buy. I was fortunately not impacted and had no black specks for the canister that came with my 7500. I hope you get a new container without the specks as the Vitamix is great. It totally whoops my daughter’s Blendtech and my old blender. I’ve made the best peanut butter without adding anything but peanuts, homemade orange juice, orange & pineapple juice, soup, smoothies, hummus and so many other things that I’m thoroughly spoiled already and it hasn’t even been a month yet. It’s even quieter than my Oster blender I was using before and the Blendtech my daughter has. I Love my Vitamix and I hope you get to enjoy yours as well. 🙂

    • A little while back I had the opportunity to visit Vitamix headquarters and meet some of the top executives. They were aware of the black specks, but that did not stop us from enjoying many blends from the Vitamix machines in their demonstration kitchen. I have also heard many first and second-hand accounts of Vitamix executives and employees using their machines heavily.

      • Do you work for Vitamix? Nothing wrong if you do, but readers should be aware if you do. You sound very pro Vitamix, but also a little bit ago my 2 sisters went and visited the brand new headquarters for the annual conference. You didn’t say when but I feel it was the same time. You sound like a Vitamix rep.

        • I don’t work for Vitamix, and I’ve never demonstrated for them. I am an affiliate with Vitamix as well as other e-retailers, as indicated on the bottom of every page of this blog as well as on the about page. That means I get a commission on sales generated by my links. Being an affiliate is what pays the bills for this blog. The Vitamix visit was for affiliates.

  12. I have been using the vitamix for 11 years so happy I loved it always talked to people how good it was. So it broked and I was going to buy another one but I went on line and saw the reviews about black specs. I had never tested my old one who knows if that one had them I’m wondering now. I was very skeptical about buying another one. I called vitamix they told me they’re aware about the problem the new ones will come out late fall. I was at costco and they where doing a demo with vitamix I was told from the demo person that they have the 5300 a brand new model that replace the 5200 with no black specs. I was so excited took it home to my surprise so many black specs so disappointed. I returned it yesterday and I bought a 6300 model at another costco where they had another demo I tested last night six different times same problem so many black specs I’m returning that one to. I don’t know why they’re doing demos and trying to sell whose containers by liyng to people. When I’m paying 500 dollars for a vitamix to stay healthy I don’t want to ingest those black specs even if they’re saying they’re safe. It’s like drinking water with all those black specs so uncomfortable I don’t like it.

    • As you can see above, I don’t think the black specks are unsafe, but everyone is free to make their own decisions. I just wanted to point one thing out that you might not have realized: if you still have the container from your old Vitamix you can use it with the new Vitamix machines. You could run a test on your old one, and if you’re satisfied, you could use the old container until Vitamix settles the black specks issue.

      In the past I’ve heard many cases of Costco demonstrators either being misinformed or not completely honest (often about differences between models, where some demonstrators will say anything to make the model they are selling sound better than the other models). I think it’s unfortunate, but not surprising given that they have stressful schedules and are paid only by commission, as far as I know.

  13. I thought I would follow up on my earlier post of April 11th, which stated concerns over having found this black debris coming from my Vitamix 6300.

    I called Vitamix and they do assert the black particles are “harmless”. According to the rep, they are “vegetable-based”. Not so sure about that, but at the same time they didn’t argue one bit that having kids in the house that were drinking the product of this blender would concern a parent. They offered to ship the unit back and give a refund, or alternatively, put me on a waiting list when they have new units available that supposedly won’t have this problem. Those new units are projected to be available sometime in the fall. I can’t serve this to my kids, don’t want a machine I can’t use till sometime next fall lying around, and so the only real choice was a return.

    I’m disappointed in this outcome insofar as I really wanted one of these machines. I do appreciate that Vitamix did the best they probably can do under the circumstances. I don’t appreciate that they’re sending these units out knowing there’s some general problem or that my children were ingesting this stuff for a few weeks. Because of that, it turns any solution into a ‘no-win’. I feel as if my family and I were made into an experiment to see what we were willing to tolerate. At least I’m not out the money. Hopefully, no member of my family is out there health.

    So what’s a good alternative blender that doesn’t have this problem?

    • Other top blenders are Waring Extreme, Blendtec, and Breville Boss. Waring Extreme has the same specks. Blendtec does not have the exact same specks, but their seals do sometimes disintegrate. I haven’t heard of any issues with the Breville Boss seal, although it is a pretty new model. Also, the Breville Boss comes with a tamper, which I think is nice.

  14. Thanks for the suggestions regarding other blenders. I appreciate it Adam! I’m doing due diligence.

    You know, I was thinking a bit further about this issue, and there is one curiosity related to it that I persist in considering. I was wondering if you’ve thought about it, as well.

    I was generally running the Vitamix roughly 4 times a day — twice for preparing food, twice for cleaning afterwards. When I did the test for black debris, I saw a fair amount. But when I consider multiplying what I saw by how much of this black debris would accumulate over the course of a month let’s say, you’d have to wind up with a decent size chip torn off of that gasket that’s supposedly causing the problem. Multiply that up to a year’s worth of that debris, and a good chunk of this gasket is gone.

    So, while I know that health can and should be the prevailing concern, I also wonder about the durability of that gasket given the daily chipping away at it. Is there a danger if it becomes overly worn and the blender runs with it? Does the blender jar or blade mechanism need to be prematurely replaced due to that wear? It’s another aspect of this that merits concern.

    • If the bearing seal wore through, then blending ingredients would leak into the bearings and they would quickly fail. However, I have not heard any significant number of reports of that happening, so my take is that the amount of PTFE that comes off the seal is a tiny fraction of the seal. I believe that it looks like it is more than it actually is, because of high contrast, concentration on the surface of water, and extremely thin dimensions. (A flake can be extremely thin, and if the material is dark it will look like a bigger piece than it really is.)

      If it did fail, the container is warrantied for the length of the blender, which is 5 or 7 years, and Vitamix is very good about fixing anything that might go wrong.

  15. My problem is that if Vitamix were truly being up front about it, you would be able to do a search for “black specks” and there would be information all about the problem. Instead, they are relying on blogs, Facebook pages, etc. to disperse the information for them. I’m glad for the information I found here…it makes me feel better about my upcoming purchase.

  16. Good day all!
    I’ve been reading the comments on this article with great interest.

    One thing I wanted to suggest to new purchasers is to use your Amex to buy. They offer an extra year to the warranty for free (making it 6-8 years). They also offer free 90 return protection, but unfortunately it’s only for up to $300 per item.

    I do have a question that I didn’t see answered above, so I hope someone can help.
    If I do buy a vitamix, and initially there are no black specks, does that mean I’m set, and there shouldn’t be any black specks later on? Is this be an issue that pops up anytime during the lifetime of the container, or does it always show at the beginning?

    I’m still not convinced I need a Vitamix, but I thank you all for the comments and opinions!

    • Hi Debbie,
      From everything I’ve seen, the amount of black specks gradually decreases over time, and I have not heard of them appearing after not initially being there. (Of course they are only visible in very specific conditions, so if you don’t blend water and pour into a white bowl, you won’t see any specks until you run that test.)

      As for Amex, note that their extended warranty applies to warranties of up to 5 years. So it would not extend the 7-year Vitamix warranty, but it could extend the 5-year one.

      • Thank you Adam. That helps a lot!

        And OOh good point about the amex extended warranty. I didn’t check the details on that. It looks like I’d be going for a model with a 5 year warranty anyway, so good to go.

        Now to decide if I want to go for the S or C series. Thanks for your help!

    • Hi Debbie,

      I understand where you are coming from as I was on the fence too; the Vitamix is expensive but very worthwhile. Besides the standard juices and smoothies, I’ve made almond milk, peanut butter with no added oil that is oh so smooth and creamy, cashew cream, soups and a number of sauces, oh and salsa. Even though there are many things I haven’t tried yet, my Vitamix is staying; the difference is huge.

      Anyway, I strongly recommend the Next Generation Series models 7500 or 750 if you want preset programs. I chose the 7500 because I didn’t want programs and prefer greater control. My Vitamix is powerful and quiet except at it’s highest settings and then it’s less loud than my old Oster or my daughter’s Blendtec (hate that thing). Initially I was looking at refurbished 5200s and I struggled with spending more but I’ve read many reviews where the Vitamix has lasted decades and I decided to look at it as a long term purchase. In that context it made sense to get the better machine. I would recommend getting the 32 oz container too for when you want to make smaller batches as the wide base of the 64oz container doesn’t really allow for really small batches. I hope this helps you.

  17. I have some news to share. We bought a Vitamix 5200 and found the black specks. I called Vitamix to complain. After some back and forth where I insisted that the specks are not OK for my family, they said they have a new version that does not shed the specks. They are sending us the new version! They said it won’t be ready for the mass market until later this year, but if you find specks and call to complain they have some that they can send out.

    • Wow, thanks Mike. I’m planning on getting the refurb 5200 sometime this month, and I do not want the specks. Please post an update when you get the new container. I’m interested to know if it works better for you.
      Thanks!

    • Have you gotten the replacement?
      i got my refurb 5200 today. OMG tons of this black crap. going to call on Monday and get them to either send me their new batch or for a refund. No way i am shoving this inert or not stuff down my throat on a regular basis.

    • Lost track of this page. The replacement container arrived a couple weeks ago and it is black speck free. We ran the test three times to be sure, and it was all clear. This machine is great!

  18. Crazy! I first heard of the issue when I was in a costco demonstrating. I work for Vitamix and a customer asked about the black specks… I had never heard of it, I didn’t deny it. He told me all about the blending up water and pouring into a white cup. My response “dang that’s crazy” all I. Could tell him was that I hear they have a great customer service. I’m glad I came across this blog, I was just researching blenders and found this blog along with one addressing the issue of material of container. I know I’m not the only rep in this blog. Curious as to why I’m the only one admitting it. Sometimes people forget that were all on the same side here. I look out for you guys and you guys look out for me, there are some things you know that I don’t, and I’m bound to have come across some things you have yet to in counter. I do love my job, though Adam is correct. It’s very stressful at times, physically and mentally demanding. It’s very common to put in over 100 hours worked for a 10 day roadshow. And yes. We only get paid commission. But I love it cause I love connecting with all the people, my sells aren’t the best. But everyone that sees me says I’m the best the company has, and I believe it! I am honest and genuine with everyone I encounter. I am getting of topic… Anyway I think I’ll test my professional 500 series when I get home for those darned specks! If I see any best believe I’ll be swapping out that container!!

  19. P.s. How do customers know about new containers when the reps aren’t even aware yet??? Hmmm….. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see about this “new and improved” containers.

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