Is That Newfangled Cookware Safe? : Part 3

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 3 of 3)

Copper

Copper is called a noble metal by both cooks and chemists, but for different reasons. Noble to a chemist means that the metal does not corrode easily. To a cook, it means magnificent in appearance. To both, copper fills the bill.

Copper is an excellent conductor of heat, especially good for top-of-range cooking. Cooks often prefer copper cookware for delicate sauces and foods that must be cooked at precisely controlled temperatures.

However, copper cookware is usually lined with tin or stainless steel. FDA's Thomas says that the agency cautions against using unlined copper for general cooking because the metal is relatively easily dissolved by some foods with which it comes in contact and, in sufficient quantities, can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The toxic effects of copper are well documented. I. Herbert Scheinberg, M.D., one of the nation?s experts on copper toxicity and professor of medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, cites a classic case reported by the New York Department of Health in the 1970s. Children attending a movie matinee bought soda from the type of vending machine that drops a cup and fills it with carbonated water from one side and syrup from another. The check valve for dispensing the carbonated water was made of copper. Overnight, a significant amount of copper had dissolved into the carbonated water. The children became ill from drinking the soda contaminated with copper salts.

Cast Iron

The all-time classic is cast-iron cookware. It's been with us for nearly 3,000 years, since it was first used in China to cook rice, and remains a staple among the glamorous additions in cookware stores. Cast iron is strong, inexpensive, and it?s an even conductor of heat for browning, frying and baking foods.

Cooking with cast iron also provides a source of an important nutrient. Some nutritionists suggest that foods cooked in unglazed cast iron contain twice or more the amount of iron they would contain otherwise.

Cast-iron utensils should be handled differently from other utensils. To prevent rust damage, the inside of cast iron cookware should be coated frequently with unsalted cooking oil. It should not be washed with strong detergents or scoured and should be wiped dry immediately after rinsing.

Ceramic and Enameled Cookware

In 1830, a Bohemian craftsman found he could create a permanent, smooth, glassy surface on cast iron by finishing it with porcelain enamel. This highly durable glass is stain and scratch resistant and does not pick up food odors.

Today, enamel-coated iron and steel provide colorful as well as practical additions to the cook's collection. Cookware made properly of enamel on these metals is safe to cook with, says Edward A. Steele, acting director, executive operations staff, in FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Steele says that because of the high firing temperatures required, lead which could present a safety concern is not used in the enamel for this cookware.

Lead, however, is used in some glazes for slow-cooking pots (crock-pots). But, in tests done in 1987, FDA found that the amount of lead that leached into food from these pots did not exceed FDA standards. (See An Unwanted Souvenir: Lead in Ceramic Ware, in the December 1989-January 1990 issue of FDA Consumer.)

At the same time (1971) that FDA restricted the amount of lead permitted to leach from housewares, the agency also established limits for cadmium after it learned that this potentially toxic substance was sometimes contained in the red, yellow and orange pigments used to color the interior of enamel cookware. In the mid-1970s, FDA inspectors discovered excessive cadmium levels in imported cookware and prohibited these products from entering the country.

Cadmium was used mostly by foreign manufacturers. But, says Steele, manufacturers have discontinued its use, and consumers today are not in danger of cadmium poisoning from enamelware marketed today.

Best Choice Your Choice

The best choice of a pot or pan depends upon whom you ask and what you want. A North Carolina father of three preteens relies on his nonstick fry pan to create perfect Sunday morning pancakes with no mess with use of little butter. A New York Times food critic features anodized aluminum in his search for a better saut} pan. A member of a Maryland food cooperative says she could never part with her familiar and durable cast-iron cookware.

The variety of pots and pans today offers something for everyone. And, the best part is that all the different materials discussed in this article can safely serve the needs of consumers.

About the Author

www.fda.gov
FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.