Out of the frying pan

Out of the frying pan

Report-Out of the frying pan

The wonder cookware, Teflon, has now been banished from kitchens around the world for its suspected carcinogenic properties. Now that Teflon's dangerous side has been discovered, consumers are looking for other alternatives in cookware. India has always had a tradition of safe cooking utensils which were not only harmless but also imparted flavour and aroma to the food cooked in them.

First time cooking in a Teflon skillet, without any liberal sprinkling of oil or ghee is quite an experience for any cook. Non-stick cookware promises an easy clean-up and freedom from fat, but safety of Teflon cookware has come into serious question.

Non-stick cookware can be lethal to birds—even DuPont, Teflon's maker, has a brochure about not using non-stick cookware near birds. And although DuPont promises that Teflon is safe for humans, the issue does not appear to be as simple as projected by Teflon cookware manufacturing. If those toxic Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) fumes can kill birds in a few minutes, what can they do to us?

PFOA is a synthetic chemical that is used in the manufacturing of traditional non-stick cookware coatings. The coating itself is called polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE)—most commonly known by its trademark name Teflon. Although PFOA is not present in the finished Teflon, it can be formed as a gas when the coating is subjected to high heat and begins to degrade. Some reports suggest that the heat doesn't need to be that high for PFOA to be released. The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board recommends upgrading the category of a substance, PFOA in this case, from "possible human carcinogen" to "likely human carcinogen."

The associated health risks are so undeniable that DuPont has voluntarily committed to eliminate the sources of exposure to PFOA from their manufacturing operations and products by 2015. The EPA classifies PFOA as carcinogenic in animals, causing testicular, pancreatic, mammary and liver tumours in rats. Workers exposed to PFOA have increased risks of dying from or needing treatment for cancers of the pancreas and male reproductive tract. Numerous studies have shown that PFOA alters reproductive hormones in males, causing increased levels of estrogen and abnormal testosterone regulation and that PFOA or chemicals that break down into PFOA damage the thyroid gland. The list can go on and on, but what is important is that consumers are aware of the risks involved in uses of Teflon cookware.

Another concern is aluminum. Aluminum conducts heat beautifully, but direct contact with food is undesirable. It's a soft and highly reactive metal that can leach into food, especially when acidic ingredients are cooked and stored. For example, tomato sauce has been shown to contain 3-6 mg aluminum (per 100g serving) after cooking in

aluminum pans—ingesting aluminum may be linked to Alzheimer's disease. Proponents of aluminum cookware say it is debatable how many aluminum molecules get into food, but many scientists and doctors say it's a serious health risk. Specially when a lot of scraping is involved while frying curry masalas in aluminum pans.

 

 

The safer alternatives

Anodized Aluminum: Cookware made of anodized aluminum was made famous by Caphalon—it is dark gray-black and has a smooth surface, but doesn't feel coated. The electro-chemical anodizing process locks in the cookware's base metal, aluminum, which makes it non-porous and non-reactive. The aluminum is unavailable to leach into food, and many cooks consider it an ideal non-stick and scratch-resistant cooking surface. The anodization can however breakdown over time, especially with the frequent cooking of acidic foods such as sauces, or use of curry masalas of caustic soaps.

Cast Iron: This may seem odd to those who do not know, but heavy cast iron pans are beautifully non-stick when properly seasoned (means lightly oiled and baked). They hold heat well and are good to cook in. They do require some extra maintenance but they are inexpensive and add a little iron to your diet as well.

Clad cookware: Layered cookware is called ‘clad'. These are a little costly especially ‘all-clad' pots and pans. Typically, stainless steel surrounds a sandwich of other metals, such as aluminum or copper. The inert stainless steel provides the cooking surface, while the aluminum or copper improves the heat conductivity.

Enameled cast iron: Enameled cast iron is more expensive than cast iron, but also more non-stick than plain cast iron. This cookware can chip unless one is very careful.

Glass: Glass is the most inert of all cookware, meaning that it doesn't leach metals or other ingredients into the food.

Green Pans: This line of cookware is a new non-stick material called Thermolon. It is being billed as the first environment-friendly, PFOA-free, PTFE-free non-stick cookware and uses a ceramic-based nano non-stick technology. It is relatively affordable. However the relatively new nanotechnology safety is open to debate.

Stainless Steel: Stainless is a very good choice for healthy cooking because it is one of the most inert metals. It reportedly does leach a small amount of nickel. One drawback is that it doesn't conduct heat evenly, so stainless "clad," described before, is a better option.

Wok or Indian Karahi: Cheap and easy, a cooking utensil worth its weight in gold. Make sure it is a carbon steel or cast iron version; some western woks or karahi's are coated with Teflon.

Stick-free cooking tips: Non-Teflon pans require a small bit of oil–but the few extra calories are better than a poisoned bird or cancer.

The stick-free trick for non-Teflon pans is temperature. The pan needs to be hot! If food is added to a too-cool pan it doesn't instantly sear. Searing results in the release of water, which prevents sticking.

Use common sense when considering searing: don't overload the pan, heat the pan in proportion to how much food you are cooking, and remove the food from the fridge before cooking to take the chill off.

Also remember this tip from many a chef: when searing food, don't flip it too soon. The food needs to attain a brown and slightly crisp surface before flipping or it will, yes, stick.

 

Reference:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/dangers-of-cookware-safe-alternatives.html

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

 

Although some exposures to PFCs are unavoidable, as a consumer you can choose not to spend money on products containing Teflon. Consider these suggestions:

Replace Teflon cookware. Consider using stainless steel, cast iron, other types of cookwares.

Look for the Teflon label on carpets and clothes. With normal wear and tear, these coatings could break down and contaminate your home and family. If you are unsure whether the fabric has been treated with Teflon, ask. Make it clear to your retailer that Teflon coatings are unacceptable to you.

Avoid fast food not just because of the calories but also because of its packaging. Fast food is likely to be packaged in PFC-coated boxes and paper. PFCs, the chemicals Teflon is made from, are also used in containers for a wide variety of supermarket foods, including microwave French fries, pizzas and popcorn.

Avoid cosmetics and toiletries with ‘fluoro', ‘perfluoro' or PTFE on the ingredient list. Products that might contain PFCs include face and body lotions, pressed powders, nail polish, and shaving cream.

 

To read more log on to www.consumer-voice.org

 

 

Consumer VOICE was founded by teachers and students at the University of Delhi in the beginning of the academic year 1983-84. Till mid 1986, Consumer VOICE functioned as an unregistered voluntary consumer association.


On 28 June 1986, it was registered as a Public Charitable Trust with noted jurist, Justice (retd.) V.M. Tarkunde and Prof. P.K. Ghosh of the Delhi School of Economics as founder donors and Dr. Sri Ram Khanna and Mr Rajan Karanjawala as Trustees.


In 1988 the Dept of Company Affairs Govt. of India accorded recognition to Consumer VOICE under the MRTP Act. The trust has since been granted exemption under section 80-G of the Income Tax Act and, donations made to the Trust are exempt from Tax. However the organization does not accept donations from private enterprise in order to ensure objectivity, or from individuals except when the donor is genuinely committed to espouse the cause of consumer protection.


As one of its first consumer-rights initiative, VOICE filed a suit against the ‘Wills Made for Each Other' tobacco campaign, as it was monopolistic and discriminated against consumers who did not smoke. VOICE also challenged television manufacturers which were selling colour television sets at a premium to consumers during the Asiad Games.


In 1997, VOICE started to publish Consumer VOICE, a bi-monthly magazine that focused on bringing consumers information on product performance. ‘Voltage Stabilisers' were one of the first product tests to be published in Consumer VOICE magazine.


The publisher of Consumer VOICE magazine since 1999 it is currently working in close co-ordination with the Dept of Consumer Affairs, Govt of India, on a comparative product testing project. The project aims to test a wide range of products most commonly used by Indian consumers in NABL-accredited laboratories. The test results are then published in Consumer VOICE magazine.

 

To know more log on to www.consumer-voice.org

 

 

Frying turkey