Definition

Cooking utensils can have an affect on nutrition.

Function

The utensils that are used to cook food often do more than just hold the food. Molecules of substances can leach from the utensil into the food that is being cooked. Three of the substances that are used in utensils are aluminum, lead, and iron. Both lead and aluminum have been associated with illness.

Food Sources

Cooking utensils can affect any cooked foods.

Recommendations

ALUMINUM

Early studies indicated that Alzheimer's patients have unusually high levels of aluminum in the brain, suggesting a possible connection between the elevated aluminum and the disease. However, current studies have shown that the increased aluminum levels in these patients could be caused by a preservative that was added to the test sample.

Although up to 52% of all cookware is made with aluminum, research has shown that the amount of aluminum leached into food from this cookware is very small.

LEAD

Children should be protected from ceramic cookware containing lead. Acidic foods such as oranges, tomatoes, or foods with vinegar will cause more lead to be leached from ceramic cookware than non-acidic foods like milk. More lead will leach into hot liquids like coffee, tea, and soups than into cold beverages. Any dishware that has a dusty or chalky gray residue on the glaze after it has been washed should not be used.

Also, any ceramic cookware bought abroad or categorized as a craft, antique, or collectable may not meet FDA specifications, and should not be used to hold food. Test kits can detect gross levels of lead in ceramic cookware, but may not detect lower levels that are also potentially dangerous.

See Lead - nutritional considerations.

For more information on dietary exposure to lead, contact:

FDA

Center for Safety and Applied Nutrition

200 C Street S.W.

Washington, DC 20201

IRON

There is significant evidence that cooking in cast iron pots increases the amount of iron in the diet. This is usually a very small source of dietary iron. See Iron in diet.

Most cookware bought in reputable retail stores will not pose any health risks. Use caution when buying cookware from other sources.

Review Date:9/2/2005
Reviewed By: William McGee, M.D., M.H.A., Assistant Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, and Director ICU Quality Improvement, Critical Care Division, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.