A warning about aluminum and cooking

[Ellipse]

Here's a reminder of what Cayce said about aluminium:

843-7(16)

[...]the effect of aluminum - or effect upon the body by foods being cooked in same - adds to rather than detracts from the activities in the system.
Hence, as we have indicated for many who are affected by nervous digestion or an overactivity of the nerve forces during the state of digestion taking place, the body should be warned about using or having foods cooked in aluminum. For this naturally produces a hardship upon the activities of the kidneys as related to the lower hepatic circulation, or the uric acid that is a part of the activity of the kidneys in eliminating same from the system.

Also, regularly he advice to not cook with aluminum containers but enamel or glass. However I don't think we have a lot of aluminum containers today.

 

[manitoban]

Also, regularly he advice to not cook with aluminum containers but enamel or glass. However I don't think we have a lot of aluminum containers today.

Yeah, but unfortunately in the past aluminum containers were commonplace. I can remember my parents telling me that they received a set of aluminum cookware for a wedding gift! And we did cook and eat out of them for quite some time. :(

 

[theos]

Lots of cookware containing aluminum is still made these days. Tfal, a popular brand of non-stick cookware in the US, contains aluminum.

It's best to avoid the non-stick cookware and use stainless steel or cast iron.

 

[Ellipse]

:/ I'm using a Tfal pan (Tefal, here, in France). Do you think the aluminium is in contact with foods? Not only the Teflon?

 

[theos]

From what I've read the plastics in the non-stick coatings ( i.e. teflon) can leech out into your foods. If you're using a teflon coated aluminum pan and the coating is scratched off in parts then the aluminum can leech into your foods as well. It can probably leech into your foods through a seemingly unscratched teflon coating. Of course DuPont says the coatings are safe so we have to believe them, right? ;)

Either way, I try to avoid both the teflon and the aluminum.

 

[Adaryn]

:/ I'm using a Tfal pan (Tefal, here, in France). Do you think the aluminium is in contact with foods? Not only the Teflon?

Avoid Teflon if you can: it contains fluoride.

Fluoride can be found in water, toothpaste, mouthwash, Dentist's treatment, fluoride pills, juice, soft drinks, canned food, commercial fruit and vegetables, Teflon and Tefal coated items (such as frying pans), etc.

http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/fluoride.htm

 

[Ellipse]

From what I've read the plastics in the non-stick coatings ( i.e. teflon) can leech out into your foods. If you're using a teflon coated aluminum pan and the coating is scratched off in parts then the aluminum can leech into your foods as well. It can probably leech into your foods through a seemingly unscratched teflon coating.

Thanks chachachick to clarify it. This make me remember that, actually, lower sheet of Teflon must be mix with the underlying material to adhere.

Avoid Teflon if you can: it contains fluoride.

Thx, so much traps...


More form Wikipedia :

While PTFE is stable and non-toxic, it begins to deteriorate after the temperature of cookware reaches about 260 °C (500 °F), and decompose above 350 °C (660 °F).[11] These degradation products can be lethal to birds, and can cause flu-like symptoms in humans.[11]

According to a synopsis of a 1955 study on the Fluoride Action Network website, the pyrolysis of PTFE begins at 200 °C (392 °F). [12]

Cooking fats, oils, and butter will begin to scorch and smoke at about 200 °C (392 °F), and meat is usually fried between 200–230 °C (400–450 °F), but empty cookware can exceed this temperature if left unattended on a hot burner.

A 1959 study (conducted before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the material for use in food processing equipment) showed that the toxicity of fumes given off by the coated pan on dry heating was less than that of fumes given off by ordinary cooking oils.[13]

Carcinogens in production

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's scientific advisory board found in 2005 that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical compound used to make Teflon, is a "likely carcinogen." This finding was part of a draft report that has yet to be made final.[14] DuPont settled for $300 million in a 2004 lawsuit filed by residents near its manufacturing plant in Ohio and West Virginia based on groundwater pollution from this chemical. Currently this chemical is not regulated by the EPA.

In January 2006, DuPont, the only company that manufactures PFOA in the US, agreed to eliminate releases of the chemical from its manufacturing plants by 2015,[15] but did not commit to completely phasing out its use of the chemical. This agreement is said to apply to not only PTFE used in cookware but also other products such as food packaging, clothing, and carpeting. DuPont also stated that it cannot produce PTFE without the use of the chemical PFOA, although it is looking for a substitute.

PFOA is used only during the manufacture of the product—only a trace amount of PFOA remains after the curing process. DuPont maintains that there should be no measurable amount of PFOA on a finished pan, provided that it has been properly cured.[16] A 2005 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) study detected PFOA in finished PTFE products including PTFE/Teflon cookware.[17] A February 2007 New York State Department of Health study detected PFOA in the gas phase coming from new nonstick cookware and microwave popcorn bags;[18] this research was funded by a 2005–2006 $17,700 grant from the Consumers Union.[19]

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teflon

I was aware of such problems but it's so practical that I have go through the red light saying myself there's no problem if there's no scratch in the Teflon :(

 

[suelarue]

I found a great deal on a set of Cuisinart MultiClad stainless steel cookware on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007KQZWU/ref=pe_78060_16348940_pe_epc_t1

This cookware has an aluminum core and there was a comment from a reviewer that said they started seeing spots that wouldn't clean off and they were wondering if it was the stainless steel wearing off and the aluminum showing through. The company apparently wasn't too responsive when asked about it. It was referred to by another as "spotty potty" syndrome.

Has anyone ever heard of this happening and if it's possible for the stainless steel to wear thin like that? Also would appreciate hearing from anyone who may have used this brand before.

Thanks!

 

[Al Today]

How about stainless steel pots with copper bottoms? Or even cast iron skillets? That is what I cook with. Never ever let soap touch iron skillets.!.!.! They will cure as you cook. I rub a little oil on them once in a while. In time one will learn how to cook with them as to not burn food. Throw out that Teflon, it's poison..

 

[Ellipse]

Reading 379-10

20 - (Q) Are the cooking utensils called Silver Seal, manufactured by Century Metal Craft Corp. of Chicago, desirable and safe for health for cooking food?
(A) These are very good - in most cases.
(Q) Is Stainless Steel harmless?
(A) This is the best, except enamel.

Thanks 379.


Al, yes my Teflon pan has gone to 5D pan for long now and I use stainless steel as you.

 

[suelarue]

Thanks Ellipse, that seals the deal for me! :D

 

[Breton]

I found a sale on enamelled cast iron cooking pot.
Made in Sweden.
Does anyone have any warnings about enamelled or should they be ok?

 

[Lilou]

I found a sale on enamelled cast iron cooking pot.
Made in Sweden.
Does anyone have any warnings about enamelled or should they be ok?

Dr. Mercola gives a pretty good presentation on cookware here- http://cookware.mercola.com/ceramic-cookware.aspx

He basically says that he used to use "ceramic" coated cast iron. Dr. Mercola says the only draw back is that it is so heavy. So he researched an alternative and now sells ceremic cookware. It's light weight & purportedly it does not leach any toxins. The sales pitch for his cookware is pretty convincing, but a big drawback on it, is the price!!!

Alittle info on ceramic vs enamel coatings from ceramiccookware.info

Ceramic Cookware: Pros and Cons
Ceramic cookware essentially comes in two types, clay based and enamel based. Clay based ceramic cookware is light excess weight and simple to use. Therefore, it is preferred by numerous chefs and homemakers. Nevertheless, this kind of ceramic cookware is prone to chipping and breakage. Therefore, if you wish to have durable ceramic cookware sets, you may go for enamel based ceramic cookware. This kind of ceramic cookware is manufactured by coating an enamel on a metal physique, generally cast iron. The enamel utilized is mainly porcelain, which is really molten glass powder. The ceramic cookware is completed with a porcelain glaze. This kind of ceramic cookware is extremely durable and resistant to high temperatures, chipping and breaking. Due to the metal physique within, this kind of cookware is frequently bulky than its clay based counterpart. Much more on enameled cast iron cookware.

The safety problem concerning the ceramic cookware, originates from the porcelain glaze. It frequently consists of small quantities of lead. Throughout the procedure of glazing, lead is sealed in the initial firing itself. This is a secure practice as the sealed lead has small possible to induce dangerous well being issues. Nevertheless, if the procedure is not completed properly, the lead does not get sealed. As a outcome, the lead leaches out of the glaze and gets mixed with your food throughout cooking. This accounts for slow lead poisoning which can be tremendously dangerous to your well being in the lengthy run. Frequently chipping or cracking of the ceramic cookware exposes your food to lead by coming in direct touch with with the contents of the glaze. Much more on cast iron cookware.

So it seems the glaze could be a problem. Perhaps just plain old cast iron, without the enamel, may be the way to go. I wouldn't risk anything containing lead of all things!

 

[Mountain Crown]

We use stainless steel cookware. If you make sure to heat the empty pan thoroughly before adding anything (a standard practice among chefs) there should be no sticking worries.

My mother swears by cast iron, and no one is allowed clean it but her.

 

[anart]

Dr. Mercola says the only draw back is that it is so heavy. So he researched an alternative and now sells ceremic cookware. It's light weight & purportedly it does not leach any toxins. The sales pitch for his cookware is pretty convincing, but a big drawback on it, is the price!!!

Of course - that's what Dr. Mercola does - he sells things. I've often wondered if that's not the only reason he even got into 'alternative' medicine. I'd be wary of buying anything from him. You can often find the same or better things for a much lower price elsewhere. fwiw.