There are many hidden plastics and other forever chemicals in our kitchens. They have toxic and endocrine effects. Some of them you may be familiar with, and others may surprise you.
Pots & Pans
First and foremost, it is best to avoid any nonstick-coated cookware. Everyone is familiar with Teflon, but there are new coatings under other names that are slightly different from the structure but are in the same family of chemicals called perfluorochemicals, or PFCs. These chemicals may also be called perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA.
Additionally, Teflon and other coated pans should never be heated above 325°F. Above this temperature, they release toxic fumes of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Dupont does not recommend that their coated cookware be heated above 660°and further recommends that at this temperature, you should not have a pet bird around while cooking. Why are these toxic fumes safe for people to inhale but not the canary in the coal mine?
These chemicals are forever chemicals, meaning they never break down. They are found in the bloodstream of people who cook with coated pans. More interestingly, if you use Glide dental floss, you will also have elevated levels of PFCs in your bloodstream, as it is coated with a PFC.
PFCs are known to be obeseogenic, meaning they increase your risk for unintentional weight gain.
Associate nonstick-coated cookware with these terms: Teflon, Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorochemicals (PFCs), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
Plastics and the Dishwasher
Plastics should never go in the dishwasher, not even "food-safe plastics." When plastics go in the dishwasher, it shortens their lifespan. Food-safe plastics will begin to leech chemicals and toxins after about 25 to 30 wash cycles. The intense heat from the dishwasher, as well as the strong detergent, cause breakdown.
It may be unavoidable to use specific plastic containers and tools in the kitchen. The best course of action is to buy all new plastic containers and wash them only by hand with soapy water.
The Problem with BPA Free Plastics
Bisphenol A (BPA), like many plastics in chemical structure, resembles estrogen. It results in estrogenic effects. It's also obesogenic, stimulating, adipogenesis and fat storage. BPA is also hard on the kidney. Chronic daily exposure may contribute to CKD, which is occurring in greater than 1 in 7 adults in the United States. By damaging kidneys, it may also raise blood pressure and uric acid levels.
It is definitely a good idea to get rid of all BPA-containing products. BPA is a plasticizer that makes plastics more flexible and also tends to give them a shiny appearance. Unfortunately, BPA is not only present in plastic containers and products; it also coats paper plates and the inside of about 80% of food containers, including metal cans, aluminum cans, and plastic containers.
Now we get to the problem with BPA-free plastics. The bad news is that when everyone turned on bisphenol A, big industry got creative and started using bisphenol S and bisphenol E. Chances are that when you buy a plastic product that is proudly stamped as BPA-free, it likely contains BPS or BPE. These bisphenols are no safer than BPA and might even have worse effects on health. The best plan is to avoid plastics as much as possible. Use metal water bottles and glass food storage containers with nylon or silicon lids. Always wash any plasticly item by hand with warm soapy water.
About the Airfryer...
Without getting into the risks/benefits of eating air-fried food, let's talk about the air fryer itself. Many of these units are covered with a nonstick-type coating. You chose to call/email the manufacturer to inquire about the coating, use the terms above that would signify a PFC. If you only ask, "Is it coated in Teflon?" you will likely be told that it is not as this trademarked product is no longer fashionable and you will not find out about the PFC that it is actually coated with.
If you are in doubt about the safety of your air fryer, don't give it to someone else; throw it out. If you still want to keep your air fryer or you're not sure what the coating is made of, only use it outside. Remember, at high heat, nonstick coatings release toxic gases.
At my house, we take the air fryer out to the back porch to use it even though ours (supposedly) does not contain any of the toxic PFCs. The other reason we do this is because of the amount of fumes it produces as it passes the smoke point of the oil.
Sidenote: women get more non-smoker lung cancer, and it is theorized that this is due to the fact that they do more cooking and are exposed to cooking fumes, especially smoke and burning oil.
Non-filtered Water
The bad news is most houses these days have PEX, PVC, polypropylene and high-density polyethylene plumbing. Unfortunately, there are many brands of these products, and all of them are known to leave chemicals in the water. The best course of action is to filter your water just before you drink it. This can be done with a Britta pitcher or through the refrigerator filtration system. Having a whole house, a filtration system is excellent, but unfortunately, it filters the water when it enters the house and before it goes through the plastic pipes.
This article by ewg discusses the problem with our plastic pipes in detail: https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/amid-pipe-wars-researchers-wary-plastic-pipes-leaching-chemicals
Other tips:
Avoid using plastic (polyethylene or polypropylene) cutting boards - bits of plastic get in the food
Avoid bottled water - plastic bottles release polyethylene terephthalate when the neck is squeezed or with sun exposure
Buy olive oils and other oils in glass containers. If it comes in plastic, transfer it to glass.
Never microwave plastic.
Use loose-leaf tea in a strainer over teabags - the teabags have chemical coatings and may be made of synthetic fabrics (plastic)
Avoid disposable plastic cups, paper/plastic/styrofoam plates, and cutlery - most are coated with BPA.
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