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Healthy cookware

…how to lessen potential risks

By Greg Seaman Posted Jan 28, 2009

There are potential risks in some cookware materials. Aluminum and Teflon-lined pots, pans and bakeware are safest when kept in good condition and used properly. Stainless steel, enameled or well-seasoned cast iron and porcelain cookware are best.

Aluminum

Plain aluminum cookware is low-cost, light-weight, and thermally responsive – but aluminum is reactive. Foods cooked in aluminum can react with the metal to form aluminum salts associated with impaired visual motor coordination and Alzheimer’s disease; however there is no definite link proven. More than half of all cookware sold today is made of aluminum.

Suggestions:

Keep aluminum cookware on good condition – When cooking with aluminum pots, the more pitted and worn out the pot, the greater amount of aluminum will be absorbed.
Minimize food storage time in aluminum – The longer food is cooked or stored in aluminum, the greater the amount that gets into food.
Avoid cooking highly acidic foods in aluminum – Aluminum cookware manufacturers warn that storing highly acidic or salty foods such as tomato sauce, rhubarb, or sauerkraut in aluminum pots may cause more aluminum than usual to enter the food.

Anodized aluminum

Anondized aluminum has been treated to develop an aluminum oxide (extremely hard and non-reactive) coating on the surface of the cookware. Commercial Aluminum Company, the manufacturer of Calphalon, a best-selling brand of anodized aluminum cookware, claims that a final stage in the anodization process seals the aluminum, preventing any leaching into food. Anodized aluminum cookware doesn’t react to acidic foods, so these pots and pans are good choices for cooking rhubarb and sauces with tomato, wine, and lemon juice.

Stainless steel

Mixing steel with chromium and nickel (18/8 stainless steel is 18% chromium and 8% nickel while 18/10 has 10% nickel) produces a corrosion resistant steel that is both hard wearing and easy to clean. Stainless steel cookware is considered one of the best and safest choices in cookware.

Suggestion:

Avoid using abrasive materials when cleaning stainless steel cookware – Stainless steel cookware can become a problem if an abrasive material is used frequently to clean it thereby releasing small amounts of chromium and nickel. Nickel is not poisonous in small quantities but it can cause an allergic reaction. People with nickel allergies should avoid cooking with stainless steel cookware.

Copper with stainless steel lining

Copper exterior requires more care but imparts the utensil with copper’s excellent thermal properties. Stainless steel/copper cookware is considered among the best and safest choices in cookware.

Copper

Copper pans are often coated with another metal that prevents the copper from coming into contact with food. Small amounts of the coating can be dissolved by food, especially acidic food, when cooked or stored for long periods.

Suggestions:

Not for people with nickel allergies – Nickel is one of the metals used in coating, so anyone allergic to nickel should avoid nickel-coated cookware.
Avoid abrasive materials when cleaning – Coated copper cookware can lose its protective layer if scoured.
Avoid uncoated copperware – Don’t use badly scratched or uncoated copper cookware to cook or store food.

Teflon and Silverstone

Non-stick finishes like Teflon and Silverstone scratch easily and may release little bits of inert plastic into the food when cooked, as well as toxic fumes over high heat. DuPont studies show that Teflon offgases toxic particulates at 446°F. At 680°F Teflon pans release at least six toxic gases, including two carcinogens. DuPont acknowledges that the fumes can sicken people, a condition called “polymer fume fever.”

A study by Environmental Working Group, in collaboration with Commonweal in 2005 found chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of US-born infants including the Teflon chemical PFOA Similarly, researchers at John Hopkins Hospital, who released findings in 2006, found PFOA the Teflon chemical, in umbilical cord blood in 99% of 300 newborns tested. The Canadian government is introducing legislation to ban PFOA. more info on teflon

Suggestions:

Consider replacing your Teflon cookware
Do not overheat Teflon cookware – Nonstick coatings are a risk is if they are over-heated. This can happen if an empty pan is left on a burner. In this case, the fumes released can be irritating or hazardous. If you plan to continue using Teflon, only cook foods at low heat.
Keep pet birds away when cooking with Teflon – Households with pet birds should be aware that Teflon fumes pose a hazard to birds.

Cast iron

Plain cast-iron is thick and dense cookware for unparalleled heat capacity. The thickness also results in even heating; however, the thickness also requires more time (and energy) to heat up. Cooking with cast iron also provides a source of an important nutrient.

Some nutritionists suggest that foods cooked in unglazed cast iron contain twice or more the amount of iron they would contain otherwise. Cast-iron utensils, although considered very safe to use, should be handled differently from other utensils.

Suggestions:

Keep cookware well-coated – To prevent rust damage, the inside of cast iron cookware should be coated frequently with unsalted cooking oil.
Use detergents sparingly – It should not be washed with strong detergents or scoured and should be wiped dry immediately after rinsing.

Ceramic, enameled and glass

Cookware made properly of enamel-coated iron and steel is safe to cook with, according to the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Because of the high firing temperatures required, lead which could present a safety concern is not used in the enamel for this cookware. Some older enamel cookware contained the potentially toxic substance cadmium, which was sometimes contained in the red, yellow and orange pigments used to color the interior of enamel cookware. Cadmium was used mostly by foreign manufacturers. But manufacturers have discontinued its use, and consumers today are not in danger of cadmium poisoning from enamelware marketed today.

Some countries do not have strict lead and cadmium limits. If you bring in glazed ceramic cookware from abroad, be aware that it may not meet permitted levels for lead and cadmium.

Crock-pots and terra cotta

Considered safe for cooking. However, lead has been used in some glazes for slow-cooking pots (crock-pots). But, in tests done in 1987, FDA found that the amount of lead that leached into food from these pots did not exceed FDA standards. As a general rule, terra cotta cookware without lead glaze is the best choice.

To ensure safety in using pottery dishes or cookware, ensure that there is a label that reads, “Safe for food use.” It is also best to avoid using pottery items such as pitchers or mugs from Mexico or Latin America due to the potential high levels of lead.

Plastic

Using plastic containers and wrap for anything other than their original purpose can cause health problems. Don’t use plastic bowls or wrap in the microwave unless they are labelled as microwave safe. If you reuse items for storage, such as dairy product containers, let the food cool before storing, then refrigerate it immediately. Never heat or store food in plastic containers that were not intended for food.

Bamboo

Bamboo steamers and paddles as well as wooden spoons, chopsticks and crockery are non-reactive and considered to have no harmful effects on food during cooking. Bamboo steamers are dishwasher safe, and bamboo is also an earth-friendly, renewable resource.

Cooking and storing tips to reduce toxicity

Store your food in glass, not plastic
Do not use Styrofoam cups for drinking (especially hot drinks!)
When cooking, keep your kitchen well ventilated. Turn on your oven fan or open a window.
Plastic cookware handles that get too hot may emit toxic fumes. Choose cookware with handles that stay cool on the stovetop for a reasonable amount of time but are oven-safe (e.g. glass/ceramic or stainless steel tubular).
Never use scouring powders, scouring pads, or other abrasives on ‘microwave safe’ cookware.
Avoid eating leftover food that has been stored for more than one day.

Related articles:
Induction Cooking

What is healthy for the person is healthy for the planet

Fruits and vegetables yielding fewer nutrients than in the past

Family Values and Food Sustainability

Eat strategically for a healthier baby and planet

The 100-mile diet

Posted in Food and Health Tags Cooking, Cookware, food, health, Teflon, Toxicity

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Comments

Posted by Greg Seaman

Oct 6, 2009 3:45 pm

Most modern ceramic and glass is safe to use. In our home we use cast iron cookware and stainless steel/copper bottom cookware. Because we no longer use Teflon cookware, we use a litle more oil and keep the heat moderate. This has been an easy transition and we do not miss the non-stick cookware at all.

Posted by Greg Seaman

Oct 6, 2009 3:56 pm

See my comment to the above post re non-stick cookware.
Calphalon cookware does use PTFE, but it is embedded in the aluminum rather than applied to the surface. And the anodization process hardens the aluminum so is not easily scratched. So as far as nonstick pans go, these are considered safer.
We prefer cast iron and stainless steel, as mentioned in the above reply.

Posted by Greg Seaman

Oct 6, 2009 4:01 pm

Sorry for the slow reply.
We have no information that suggests food served on cold aluminum trays presents any health risks. I would not be concerned.

Posted by sara

Nov 4, 2009 4:01 pm

Thank you for the info. Questions:
1) Are there any foods that can interact with iron cookware?

2) What type of container is best for freezing? Is there a brand that can be recommended? Is plastic containers ok for freezing?

Posted by Greg Seaman

Nov 4, 2009 6:06 pm

Acidic foods like tomatoes can darken and sometimes the food will taste different. You can, however, make tomato sauce in a cast iron skillet but just don't store it in the skillet.
For freezing, we use freezer bags because you can get the air out which is good for food storage, and this also takes up less room in the freezer. And the bags are reusable. But I'm not sure about plastic containers. You could go to the USDA website where they have good information about food storage.

Posted by Dar Harris

Nov 7, 2009 7:46 pm

My church has aluminum pans in the kitchen that people are still using. These pans have to be 30 years or older. They are really pitted inside. I told a couple of people that I don't think these pans should be used. Am I assuming correctly that these pans need to be replaced with stainless steel?

Posted by Greg Seaman

Nov 7, 2009 8:16 pm

If the pans are used for baking foods, or for storing leftovers, then you could do your church a favor and get some glass casserole dishes, or stainless if you're willing to spend more. Glass casserole dishes can often be found in thrift shops at very low cost.

Posted by Geschenkideen

Dec 11, 2009 8:44 am

Bamboo???? i first thought that you are kidding me – but obviously this works. Thank you for that information.

Posted by Greg Seaman

Jan 7, 2010 10:58 pm

We do not have information on this new cookware from Cuisinart, other than from people who have only recently purchased the pans. A common complaint with non-stick pans is that they lose their 'non-stickiness' after several months. This line needs a longer track record for conclusive evaluation, but initial reports are favorable.

We have no reason to believe there are any toxic components to this cookware.

Personally, I love well-seasoned cast iron cookware. I still use the same cast iron omelet skillet from my university days, and that was waaaay long ago!

Posted by Beth

Jan 10, 2010 11:41 pm

I'm wanting to buy a crock pot and am deciding between ceramic or stainless steel. I think I"m more comfortable with stainless stell but want it to be 100 percent stainless steel and having a tricky time figuring out how to judge that. Know any brands or how I can judge that? I"m chealting for mercury so want to make sure I don't pick up any more metals.

Posted by Michelle

Jan 14, 2010 2:24 am

I recently bought a cast iron skillet to replace my old,pitted non-stick one, but now I am concerned that there might be lead or cadmium in the cast iron. It was made in China, which is of particular concern. Is there any way to test skillets for this?

Is there any place to get cast iron that is free of toxic metals?

Posted by Greg Seaman

Jan 14, 2010 4:16 am

If you buy unseasoned "bare" cast iron cookware you should have no concerns over toxicity.
If you buy enameled cast iron cookware then you shoud pay attention to the source. I would buy from a US based manufacturer.
If you buy "seasoned cast iron" cookware from China, you should realize they are coated with an FDA-approved bake-on paint for seasoning, rather than vegetable oil. Some people report that this surface treatment can chip off. If this happens you should discard the skillet.
My recommendation is to buy unseasoned cast iron and season it yourself.

Posted by Greg Seaman

Jan 14, 2010 4:17 am

I'm sorry, but I haven't enough experience with crock pot cookware to give you an informed answer.

Posted by jas

Jan 19, 2010 2:31 am

krups bought from macys. all stainless inside as well. org 100 got it on sale for 60

Posted by Stacie

Jan 24, 2010 9:53 pm

Do you know if this GreenPan cookware with a nonstick surface is truly safe? I thought all “non stick” pans were bad for you?

Posted by Connie Immordino

Jan 30, 2010 5:47 pm

Rae,

I have found cookware make in Italy by Monetta. It has a ceramic lining which does not release toxins.

Connie

Posted by Cathy

Jan 31, 2010 3:03 am

I have been using gold non-stick cookie sheets from William Sonoma as well as an All Clad Crock Pot/Slow Cooker which has a type of non-stick interior. Both were rather expensive, especially the Slow Cooker. Any thoughts on these products? Also, what is your opinion on electric tea kettles.
Thanks!

Posted by Aran Seaman

Feb 1, 2010 4:59 pm

Hi Cathy,

I will look into your non stick crock pot to see whether that might be bad. Regarding electric kettles, I just replaced my plastic electric kettle with a stainless steel one.

I personally don't think it's safe to boil water in a plastic kettle with all the BPA that's in most plastics.

Although I am still not sure about how safe the stainless steel kettle is (I can smell some kind of rubber/plastic component when it boils…) It's at least better than the plastic one.

We will have to write an article on kettles and get to the bottom of this!

Posted by carl held

Feb 8, 2010 4:58 am

I purchased a Presto Electric Griddle, with a "premium non-stick surface" over a thick cast aluminum base. It is has a slightly mottled surface (the opposite of pitted), is dark, and DOES NOT have shiny particles I tend to see on other non-stick surfaces, which make me paranoid that that I'm seeing aluminum particles. Does anyone know what this non-stick surface is? And if it's fairly safe to fry pancakes (recommended heat 350- 400 degrees).

Posted by Carol Chiveral

Feb 13, 2010 4:50 pm

I am wondering about the steel plated bundt pans, and pizza pans,etc. if they are dangerous to use. I make sure they are steel, with a magnet, but they are coated with something, but they are easy to clean.

Posted by Lou Arevalo

Feb 17, 2010 12:58 am

Just bought this set today and a friend later told me about your site. Are they okay?

Bialetti – made in Italy; Aluminum nonstick; Hi-base system; Heavy gauge aluminum; Duratek non-stick interior; resists 100,000 abrasions (with metal spatula); NSF compliant.

First new set of pots/pans I’ve bought in over 20 years so would like to get something safe. Replacing old set of Revereware stainless steel, copper bottoms.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Posted by Greg Seaman

Feb 17, 2010 5:26 pm

As you may have read above, there are concerns with aluminum cookware and with non-stick cookware. However, potential hazards can be addressed by careful use. Most importantly, avoid high heat settings with non-stick cookware, and don't store foods in aluminum cookware.
We use Revereware stainless/copper and cast iron cookware exclusively in our home.

Posted by Greg Seaman

Feb 17, 2010 5:28 pm

I'm sorry Carol, but we don't have reliable information about the coating you are referring to.

Posted by Armin Rana Ray

Feb 23, 2010 4:12 pm

Hi Greg,
I have a recently bought a non stick cast Aluminium Pan and I'd like to know if non stick Aluminium (not annodised) is the same as Teflon or has teflon in it ?

Is Cast Aluminium , non stick as dangerous as Teflon ?
Thank You,
Armin Ray

Posted by Nia

Feb 23, 2010 8:02 pm

Is Steel Cookware okay? I have a traditional Indian Tawa made of steel that I use often. Also, is enameled steel (steel and enamel combined-not enamel on steel) safe. They usually come in different colors and spoted. I have a few pots like this too. Thank you for your reply if you get around to it- Thank you for this article. Cheers!

Posted by Greg Seaman

Feb 23, 2010 9:38 pm

If the steel you're referring to is stainless steel, then this is considered very safe for cooking. However, enameled steel, especially on cheaper cookware, can and will eventually flake off. This may find it's way, via your food, into your fat cells and liver causing potential risk. Also, new enameled cookware (especially low quality cookware) may emit fumes when first heated. Be sure to use the hood fan when using a new enameled pan.
When cleaning your enameled steel pans, avoid using abrasive scrubbies as these may wear off the enamel in small amounts which will shorten the llife of your cookware.

Posted by Armin Rana Ray

Feb 24, 2010 7:24 am

I have a recently bought a non stick cast Aluminium Pan and I'd like to know if non stick Aluminium (not annodised) is the same as Teflon or has teflon in it ?

Is Cast Aluminium , non stick as dangerous as Teflon ?
Thank You,
Armin Ray

Posted by Greg Seaman

Feb 24, 2010 4:52 pm

Virtually every quality nonstick on the market contains PTFE as the nonstick component. If you are looking for good cookware which has a nonstick coating, you will not find any that do not contain PTFE. This info is from cookware manufacturer:
John Badner
Business Mgr/Consumer Products
Whitford Corporation

Posted by Florence

Feb 25, 2010 4:10 am

I wish to purchase SAFE non-stick cookware. Can you give me brands and stores where I may be able to purchase it?

Posted by Greg Seaman

Feb 25, 2010 4:53 am

Florence,
We only offer guidelines as above on this page. We don't recommend any specific brands or stores. Sorry.

Posted by Kathi

Feb 28, 2010 2:23 pm

I recently discovered that I have significantly high levels of aluminum in my body. My doctor more than recommended I purchase stainless steel cookware (without any aluminum!) Can you recommend a brand that would satisfy this need? Thanks.
Desperate!
Kathi

Posted by Greg Seaman

Feb 28, 2010 5:44 pm

For stainless cookware, we like Revere Ware. This line has copper bottom, stainless sides.

Posted by RoseLynne Sterling

Mar 5, 2010 6:16 pm

Thanks for the good information about cookware safety. It is worrisome to not know the facts about the safety of aluminum cookware. It would be nice if a definitive study was conducted so that consumers could either feel confident in using it or could decide not to use it. I personally use vintage Guardian Service Ware that is about 60 years old. Since it is easy to find pieces in good, or even mint condition, I don’t use pieces that are pitted or that I am unsure of.

RoseLynne

Posted by Peter Morford

Mar 8, 2010 7:39 am

I live in Thailand and am single so tend to eat out a lot as I don't like cooking. I have no control over what the restaurants do with their food and haven't been sick from food for a long long time so maybe some of the bugs have made my stomach stronger!