by Lorelei Cohen

Created on: January 07, 2008   Last Updated: May 19, 2011

I was shocked one day to discover that Teflon, and other non stick cooking surfaces contain a tremendous amount of toxins that are transferable not only through the surface of the pan itself, but also through the very air that surrounds the cooking process. I chucked my non-stick pans the same day that I learned exactly how harmful they are. This knowledge frightened me more than a little and I decided to investigate into healthier alternatives for my cookware choices.

I already knew that aluminum pots leached contaminants into the human body during cooking, and that they are currently under investigation for a number of serious health problems, so I quickly retired all my aluminum cookware to the nearest recycling center. That left me with glass, stainless steel, and cast iron pots, pans and sheets, and it was these that I have cooked and baked with since .

But now further investigation into these alternatives are having me once again re-evaluate my cookware choices. To my surprise I am quickly learning that even these alternatives can have health risks. Even more surprising, "Cast Iron" one of our oldest and most well known forms of cookery, may actually turn out to be the safest form of cookware that we can use. Maybe grandma was right!

Glass, although a close second in safety, still carries with it a number of safety risks particularly if it is older glass, or if it's country of origin is not known. Some not so healthy components used in the production of glass such as lead and cadmium leach into food during the cooking process. Also various pigments or paints involved in the decoration of glass or ceramic products also leach unhealthy chemicals into the food we then consume. Canada and the U.S.A. have strict production standards and most products now made in these countries are deemed safe and acceptable for human use. However, older glass products did not have to comply with these regulations, also products that have been brought into country as personal effects by immigrants from neighboring countries, so unfortunately there are a lot of glass baking and serving dishes out there that do not comply with today's stricter health standards. The other health risk associated with glass baking dishes is the risk of the glass itself shattering suddenly, and with a tremendous force, thus causing serious personal injury. Glass in cookware can have a tendency to break into large jagged pieces rather than to shatter like tempered glass.

Stainless steel

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