Why Should We Do Without Plastic And Teflon In The Kitchen?

Currently, there is a tendency to focus a lot on the ingredients of the foods we eat, but it is also important to select well the containers and utensils that we use with these foods. Therefore, it is essential to do without plastic and Teflon.

You may have already heard some news about the dangers of using certain types of materials. In this article, we explain why doing without plastic and Teflon will help you prevent potential health problems in the long run.

Dispense with plastic: bisphenol A

Bisphenol A, abbreviated as BPA, is a substance that is part of many plastic packaging. According to some scientific studies, BPA can negatively affect your health.

Long-term BPA is related to different disorders : hormonal balance, diabetes, obesity, infertility, breast or prostate cancer, cardiovascular problems, alterations in neurological and brain development and disorders of the brain. behaviour.

In France its use is already prohibited. And the European Union banned the sale of plastic baby bottles with this component, following in the footsteps of the United States and Canada.

Besides bisphenol A, there are other potentially toxic substances in plastic. For example, phthalates or expandable polystyrene. Next, we explain how we can avoid these effects on our health.

How do we avoid BPA?

Any plastic container should have a recycling code printed on it, almost always on the bottom. We should look at this code to know what plastic it is, since not all contain BPA or are equally harmful.

• The plastics that contain the most amount of BPA are those with the numbers 3, 7 and 10.

According to the US Children’s Environmental Health Special Unit, the least harmful plastics, on the other hand, are the following numbers:

• 1 (PETE).
• 2 (HDPE).
• 4 (LDPE).
• 5 (PP).

In addition to choosing these plastics, when we have no other packaging option, it is also important that we avoid reusing plastic bottles. Its prolonged use facilitates the release of toxic substances.

Finally, we must avoid at all costs subjecting the plastic with food to high temperatures, which includes heating the food in the microwave in plastic containers. This process releases chemicals even more easily.

Whenever you can, dispense with plastics and even cans, since they usually have an inner lining, which is also harmful.  Opt for glass, ceramic, wood, or stainless steel containers. 

Teflon

Scientific studies have found some evidence about Teflon’s potential risk to people, although the results were inconclusive. This would be because of the gradual detachment of this non-stick material that covers pots, pans and oven trays, especially.

The toxic substance related to Teflon is perfluoroctanic acid (PFOA). This component could be potentially carcinogenic.

Alternatives to Teflon

Old aluminum utensils are not recommended either, since exposure to this heavy metal is related to the appearance of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Therefore, the healthiest materials in the kitchen are the following:

• Glass.
• Ceramics.
• Titanium.
• Stainless steel.
• Molten iron.
• Natural clay.
• Wood.
• Bamboo.

How do we choose?

Some of these materials may surprise us or be unknown to us. But the truth is that more and more stores are marketing containers of natural materials that do not include toxic components for long-term health.

We will have to investigate and test these pots and pans to find the most suitable for each type of stew since, with some it is easy for food to stick, with others we will need high temperatures, etc. Each material has its secrets.

However, in this way we can also discover new types of cooking and even be inspired by other cultures. For example, with the bamboo steamers for steaming or the tajines of Arab cuisine, made with baked clay.

We will also take prices into account since,  unfortunately, the most environmentally friendly and effective products, such as titanium, tend to have high prices. On the other hand, ceramic ones are used more and more and can be found at a good price.

Now we invite you to do without plastic and Teflon or even to continue researching the effects of these materials on our health. In the long run, we will appreciate it.