Snug Organics Blog

Cookware Quandary

Tuesday June 1, 2010

What is the deal with cookware and toxicity?  I think we all briefly heard the news a while back about Teflon being toxic and slowly seeping into our food.  So is it Teflon or all non-stick cookware surfaces that are dangerous?  I don’t know if I trust any of them.  Non-stick isn’t as long-lasting as other naturally-surfaced cookware anyway.  Non-stick coatings, usually Teflon or something similar, contain controversial chemicals PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene).  They scratch easily and may release little bits of inert plastic into food when cooked, as well as toxic fumes over high heat. DuPont studies show that Teflon off-gases toxic particulates at 446°F.  Teflon pans release at least six toxic gases, including two carcinogens.  DuPont acknowledges that the fumes can sicken people with 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 (99% of 300 newborns tested).  The Canadian government is introducing legislation to ban PFOA.  The other most popular cookware, aluminum, is also a concern because food can react with this metal to form aluminum salts associated with impaired visual motor coordination and Alzheimer’s disease.  More than half of all cookware sold today is made of aluminum.  As I researched and began to replace all of the Calphalon cookware that we’ve had since we got married ten years ago, here are the most non-toxic options I found:

Stainless Steel Stainless steel cookware is considered one of the best and safest choices in cookware.  Some say there is the possibility of ingesting nickel and chromium if the surface is scratched, but that’s very difficult to do.   It is one of the most hygienic surfaces for the preparation of foods and very easy to clean, as its unique surface has no pores or cracks to harbor dirt, grime, or bacteria.  It requires minimal care since it won’t chip or easily rust.  Stainless steel has a useful life expectancy of over 100 years, and it is totally recyclable. 360 Cookware, a green company based in West Bend, WI, offers a stainless option introducing vapor technology.

Cast Iron (plain & enameled) Plain cast-iron is thick and dense with unparalleled heat capacity.  The thickness also results in even heating, but 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 on unglazed cast iron contain twice the amount of iron they would contain otherwise.  Enameled cast iron absorbs heat and distributes it evenly, creating an efficient cooking experience, whether it is the slow roasting of vegetables or the simmering of soups.  It can also be used on any heat source including in the oven for casseroles or baking bread.  Enamel-coated cast iron is safe and a little easier to cook with than plain cast iron.  Green Pots is an affordable option, but is only offered online.

Copper Copper requires more care, but offers unmatched heat conductivity and temperature control.  It is environmentally-friendly, being a natural material that takes little heat to form into pots and pans.  It also takes a lot less energy to heat copper cookware. For recipes that require your stove to be on medium high, would only require just medium low or low.  Most copper pans come with a stainless steel lining.  Copper is extremely expensive, but Revere Copper offers a compromise of stainless steel with a copper layer on the bottom.  It can be found at local hardware stores starting at $20.

Anodized Aluminum This non-stick replacement is treated to develop an aluminum oxide non-stick coating.  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.  They say it resists abrasion, is chemically stable, does not decompose, and is non-toxic. s However, some people feel that all aluminum cookware should be protected with stainless steel or some other safe material.  Many even have a rolled edge that allows food to touch only stainless. Well-made anodized aluminum cookware that doesn’t have any scratches is probably okay, but when there are other safe choices, why bother with aluminum?

These are the tried and true cookware choices that have stood the test of time.  Cooking on surfaces other than non-stick take some getting used to, but food cooked this way tastes even better.  Eventually I would love to invest in a few Green Pots, a small, women-owned business ensuring that their enameled cast iron is completely non-toxic.  For the time being I bought a couple of stainless steel pieces, a cast iron griddle for pancakes, one enameled cast iron dutch oven, and uncovered a beautiful copper pot given to us for our wedding when I was too inexperienced to appreciate it.  I also saved one of our original, very small, Calphalon non-stick skillets just in case.