The Kitchen Novice

The ” Non-stick Bake-ware and Cook-ware” Dangers

Indian cooking methods are different from those in the rest of the world.There have been evolutions and revolutions in these methods over the ages starting from the earthen Pots to using different metals and their alloys and in the heating methods. Newer and newer technologies have got introduced. Grills, direct and regulated fire pans fast and slow heating metals, heat containing metal products, pressure based techniques, cooking gases and stoves, electricity ( no fire ) based, microwave based and so on. In the oil based methods, dangers of excessive uses of oils on health have forced the introductions of “no oil” non-stick wares.

In India, the non-stick wares got introduced around late 1960′s or early 1970′s. These were introduced for the first time in the USA around late 1940′s. Basically the heat conducive metals or their alloys are coated with some polymers, largely of a chemical called PTFE (Perflurooctanoic acid).

Such vessels are very attractive in the changing life-styles. But are they safe and healthy. I had read that Nawab Siraj-ud Daula had procedures and protocols for testing plates to poison. But nearly 250 years from then, we do not seem to be wary of this.

The chemicals used for coating vessels to make them non-sticky were found to persist in the human blood a and wild life. Overheating these vessels beyond the recommended teperatures, along with the use of oils, gives out out certain chemical vapours which are hevy, can kill birds, may cause cancer, damage liver, produce birth defects and may even be fatal.

Rcently some countries such as the USA have urged the manufacturers to put warning labels on these vessels. Technology is progressively developing to investigate the safety and non-safety of such coatings and entering into less and less unsafe coating materials. Until then, “Better be safe than be sorry!” I would think more than twice in going for such new technologies and may still favour the age “safe (may be slow)” and ” cumbersome” methods. I still orefer making rotis on an iron tawa to a non-stick flat pan!  

About the Author

Date of Birth: October 19, 1951
Educational h.D.Botany, Biotechnology
Research Experience:30 years in crop improvement and diversification
Good writing and communication skills in English on a variety
of topics
Published over 45 reasearch papers and popular articles
Winner of International recognition and national awards

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