I needed some roof guttering the other day so went to a local metal fabricating shop to enquire.

While I was there I noticed that they were making (new) a 'pot' for boiling noodles. The type used in a noodle cart. I asked what solder he was using to seal the joints and he replied proudly 100% lead. Is normal solder like for electrical wiring lead?

Would this be bad for you in the short or long term, especially for kids? Do you think that all of these types of food carts that require an inbuilt boiling pot are made the same way?

Regular electrical solder is 60/40 tin/lead.

As to any health issues. IMHO I would think that in the short term no problems and if it's only a few bowls of noodles not enough will dissolve out to cause future problems. It depends how much surface area of the lead is actually in contact with the water.

We still use soldered joints on UK copper piping although there have been recent health concerns, lead is after all poisonous and it is cumulative (doesn't get flushed out of the body).