Research has increasingly found chemicals and other worrisome materials in many products that come into contact with food. Most recently, a study found high levels of toxic flame retardants in black-colored plastic, including kitchen utensils and food containers.
These findings are raising a lot of questions about the safety of a variety of kitchen staples, including the products used to prepare your food. Overall, however, experts say there is no need to freak out. “I view these reports as an opportunity to change our habits to be healthier,” Jamie Alan, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, tells Yahoo Life. “Take this as an opportunity to think about how we prepare and store food, and if feasible, consider some tweaks to your routine.”
Which common kitchen items have come under scrutiny — and, more importantly, what should you do about it? Here's what four scientists say.
Plastic cutting boards
Research published last year in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found that using a plastic cutting board can create up to 7,680 flecks of plastic, which can end up in your food. These microplastics can then be ingested, where they can build up in your body.
“Plastic cutting boards may be a significant source of microplastics in human food,” Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a toxicologist at MedStar Health, tells Yahoo Life. “While we don’t exactly know if microplastic consumption is harmful to human health, some people may wish to reduce their exposure to microplastics due to concerns about potentially dangerous health effects from these compounds.”
Research has found that people with microplastics in the plaque clogging their neck arteries were more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than people who didn’t have microplastics in their plaque. Microplastics have also been detected in the brain and several other areas of the body.
“Solid wood cutting boards — not laminate wooden boards — may be better for cutting things like bread, fruits and vegetables,” Jordan Kuiper, an epidemiologist and assistant professor in the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, tells Yahoo Life. But these aren’t perfect, either. “Wooden boards are considered to be a porous material, so cutting things like meat, poultry and fish on them may make it harder to fully clean and disinfect them afterward, increasing the risk of exposure to harmful bacteria,” Kuiper notes.
Instead, when it comes to prepping meat, he suggests using something nonporous like glass or stone, which is also recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Designating different cutting boards for meat and produce whenever possible is also considered helpful for food safety reasons.
Nonstick pans
Traditional nonstick pans contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in their coatings to give them that slippery surface. PFOA is a form of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances compound, better known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down.
“PFAS have been shown to migrate from nonstick pans into food and that the cooking surface degrades with each use,” Courtney C. Carignan, an exposure scientist and assistant professor of food science and human nutrition at Michigan State University, tells Yahoo Life. While PFOA has been phased out of many nonstick pans, Carignan points out that other forms of PFAS “that lack clear proof of long-term safety” continue to be used to manufacture the cooking staple. “The fact this type of substitution frequently occurs is a known problem that requires action across all sectors to solve,” Carignan says.
PFAS have been linked to a range of health issues, including higher cholesterol levels, an increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer and changes in liver enzymes.
Kuiper points out that the Food and Drug Administration has previously said that there is no known research to demonstrate that PFAS authorized for use in nonstick cookware is actually a significant source of exposure to PFAS, “unlike other known sources of potentially significant exposure such as drinking water, dairy products, meat and fish and food packaging.”
Still, Carignan says it’s “reasonable” to choose pans made with other materials, such as stainless steel, ceramic and cast iron.
Gas stoves
Research published earlier this year found that levels of nitrogen dioxide in homes exceeded health benchmarks after gas or propane stove use and lingered for hours. Nitrogen dioxide exposure can make asthma attacks worse and has been linked to lung development issues in kids.
But replacing a gas stove is a complicated and expensive procedure, putting it out of reach for many — and scientists say it may not be needed. “Gas stoves are wonderful if they have proper ventilation and if you have proper safety guards for children in place,” Alan says.
Kuiper agrees that ventilation is a must. “While electric ranges/ovens or induction ranges are preferred to avoid greater indoor air pollution, replacing one’s cooking appliances may not always be feasible,” he says. “If someone has a gas stove/range and they want to reduce their potential exposures, they should use a ventilation hood at full power every time they use the appliance, and this hood should ideally ventilate to the outdoors.”
If there’s no ventilation system or the one in place doesn’t empty outside, he suggests opening windows and fans to help circulate air, or using an air purifier.
Tea kettles and coffee makers
Kuiper says tea kettles and coffee makers can become breeding grounds for mold and toxic compounds produced by certain molds called mycotoxins. Previous research has detected microorganisms in coffee maker drip trays, outlets, buttons and water tanks, including potentially harmful bacteria like E. coli and Pseudomonas.
But Kuiper adds that tea kettles and coffee makers are unlikely to be a major issue for most people. “Before ditching your tea kettle or coffee machine, consider adding a descaling regimen to a regular maintenance schedule,” he says. (Descaling is the process of removing mineral deposits from the surface of a product.)
Kuiper also suggests cleaning the exterior of these products on a weekly basis, if not more often. “The handles of tea kettles and coffee pots are more likely to house harmful bacteria and viruses, since these items are rarely cleaned on a regular basis,” he says.
Black utensils
A study published in the journal Chemosphere found high levels of flame retardants in black utensils and other black-colored plastic products. Those flame retardants included decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), which was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2021. DecaBDE was detected in 70% of the samples, with some levels up to 1,200 times higher than the acceptable limit set by the European Union's standard of 10 parts per million.
Research into the potential impact of this is ongoing, making it difficult to know how much of an influence it may have on health. But Alan says that you can swap out black or other plastic cooking utensils for wooden or metal counterparts if you’re concerned.
The bottom line
Despite all of these potential issues with your kitchen products, Kuiper points out that people are exposed to environmental hazards all the time. “We are, unfortunately, exposed to a myriad of chemicals, pollutants, bacteria and viruses on a daily basis,” he says. “The goal is not necessarily eliminating these exposures, but rather reducing them where possible.”
Alan agrees. “This is nothing to panic about,” she says. “But, if you are able, this is an opportunity to make some changes to your everyday routines.”
Kuiper is hopeful that the growing body of research on environmental hazards in kitchen gear will spark change on a production level. “It is important to stress that the burden of navigating risk and safety should not be placed on the individual consumer,” he says. “Instead, these reports demonstrate that stricter regulations from our government agencies are vital in order to hold manufacturers accountable for their products.”