You may want to rethink your kitchen tools if you have them around. That’s because they could pose a health risk that you might not know about.
ATLANTA — If your kitchen drawers still house black plastic utensils, you may want to remove them and take a closer look at what you’re cooking with.
You may want to rethink your kitchen tools if so. That’s because they could pose a health risk that you might not know about.
Now although these utensils could be handy for those big family gatherings around Thanksgiving and Christmas, experts say you should be cooking with different tools.
A new peer-reviewed study published in “Chemosphere” magazine warns that black plastic cooking utensils and cooking containers could be hiding some serious health issues.
Shanika Whitehurst with Consumer Reports said that the study’s researchers found some concerning chemicals inside many of the products, and those chemicals could be harmful.
Whitehurst explained that flame retardants, usually added to electronics like TV and computer casings to reduce fire risk, are now being recycled and used in consumer items, including black plastic kitchen items and food containers.
“Once everything’s been melted down and created into new utensils, it’s all combined at that point,” Whitehurst said.
When these plastics are used for cooking or heating up food, these chemicals can leach into our food and, in turn, into our bodies. Health officials said it can cause thyroid disease and even cancers.
“That’s one reason why a lot of people aren’t using Teflon cookware anymore. Right? For the same reason — stuff leaching out as you cook,” said Dr. John Anderson with the University of Chicago said, agreeing with the study’s findings.
Another 2020 study published in the Lancet Medical Journal even linked exposure to flame retardants as the greatest contributor to intellectual disabilities in children.
Consumer Reports said there are practical ways to reduce your family’s exposure. First, throw out any plastic black kitchen utensils or cooking containers you might have. Lastly, switch to much safer utensil options such as wood, bamboo, silicon or a classic option, stainless steel.
