The safe use of cookware and bakeware
Pots, pans, other cookware and bakeware are made from a variety of materials. Most of the cookware and bakeware in Canada is safe to use for daily meal preparation, as long as it's well maintained and used as intended. Some parts of these materials can enter the food that we cook or bake in them. Most of the time, this is harmless.
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Risks of certain materials
There are potential health risks with some materials in cookware and bakeware. Learn more about the risks and how to minimize your risk.
Aluminum
Aluminum cookware is a popular choice for cooking because it:
- is lightweight
- conducts heat well
- is fairly inexpensive
People in Canada normally take in about 10 milligrams of aluminum daily, mostly from food. Aluminum pots and pans contribute only 1 or 2 milligrams of this total. While aluminum has been associated with Alzheimer's disease, there's no proven link. The World Health Organization estimates that adults can consume more than 50 milligrams of aluminum daily without harm.
During cooking, using worn or pitted aluminum pots and pans can transfer aluminum to food more easily. Leafy vegetables and acidic foods, such as tomatoes and citrus products, absorb the most aluminum from cookware.
Minimizing your risk
- Don't cook or store food in aluminum cookware for long periods.
Anodized aluminum
Anodized aluminum cookware conducts heat as well as ordinary aluminum, but has a hard, non-stick surface which makes it scratch-resistant, durable and easy to clean. Anodized aluminum cookware reduces the transfer of aluminum from cookware into foods, particularly acidic foods like tomatoes and rhubarb.
Minimizing your risk
- Don't store food in anodized aluminum cookware for long periods.
Copper
Copper cookware conducts heat well, making it easy to control cooking temperatures.
Small amounts of copper are good for everyday health. However, large amounts in a single dose or over a short period can be poisonous. It's not certain how much can be safely consumed each day.
Copper cookware sold in Canada is generally coated with another metal that prevents the copper from coming into contact with food. Small amounts of the coating can be dissolved by food, especially acidic food, when cooked or stored for long periods. Coated copper cookware can lose its protective layer if scoured.
In the past, nickel was sometimes used to coat copper cookware. Such cookware should be used for decorative purposes only. Anyone allergic to nickel should always avoid nickel-coated cookware.
Minimizing your risk
- Wash copper cookware by hand using a mild detergent and a soft cloth or sponge to avoid scratching the surface.
- Don't use badly scratched or un-coated copper cookware to cook or store food.
- Don't cook with or store food in nickel-coated copper cookware. Use it for decorative purposes only, especially if you are allergic to nickel.
Stainless steel and cast iron
Stainless steel cookware is:
- strong and long-lasting
- made from iron and other metals
- a popular type of cookware in North America
Cast iron cookware:
- retains heat
- is durable and versatile
- is primarily made from iron
Some metals used in stainless steel or cast iron cookware include iron, nickel and chromium, which may lead to adverse health effects.
Iron is essential to produce red blood cells. Large amounts can be poisonous, but in North America, we're more likely to lack iron than have too much. Iron cookware provides less than 20% of total daily iron intake. This is well within safe levels.
Nickel isn't poisonous in small quantities but it can provoke a reaction in people allergic to nickel. The average adult consumes between 150 to 250 micrograms of nickel per day. Using corrosion-resistant stainless steel cookware containing nickel, even for cooking acidic foods such as rhubarb, apricots or tomatoes, won't add significant amounts of nickel to the diet.
Small quantities of chromium are good for your health, but higher amounts can be harmful. The safe intake range is about 50 to 200 micrograms per day, which is what most people in Canada consume. One meal prepared with stainless steel cookware gives you about 45 micrograms of chromium, which isn't enough to cause concern.
Minimizing your risk
- Don't store foods that are highly acidic, such as stewed rhubarb or stewed tomatoes, in stainless steel cookware.
- Don't use cookware containing nickel, if you are allergic to nickel.
Ceramic, enamel and glass
Ceramic (pottery), enamel or glass cookware is easily cleaned and can be heated to fairly high temperatures. Ceramic cookware is often glazed. Similar glazes (a form of glass) are applied to metals to make enamelware. These glazes resist wear and corrosion.
Glazed ceramic, glazed glass or enamel cookware can cause health concerns when the pigments used in making, glazing or decorating the cookware contain lead or cadmium.
In Canada, glazed ceramics and glass cookware and bakeware are regulated under the Glazed Ceramics and Glassware Regulations. It's a requirement that the glaze coating must not transfer more than trace amounts of lead or cadmium to food or drink stored, prepared or served in these products.
Some countries don't have the same strict lead and cadmium limits as Canada. If you bring in glazed ceramic cookware from abroad, be aware that it may not meet Canadian restrictions for lead or cadmium.
Minimizing your risk
Don't prepare, cook, serve or store food in glazed ceramic or glass cookware if:
- the product was obtained outside of Canada (for example, while on vacation or received as a souvenir) as it may contain higher levels of lead or cadmium than are allowed in Canada
- there's a warning on the product indicating the presence of lead or cadmium and not to use the product with food
- there's a design feature indicating the product isn't intended for food use (such as holes, mounting hooks or holders)
Use these products for decorative purposes only.
Plastics
Plastic is lightweight and versatile for cooking and storing food. Many plastic containers have been made for use in microwave ovens.
However, using plastic containers or plastic wrap for anything other than their original purpose can be a health concern. With wrap, the concern is that food may absorb some of the plasticizer, the material that helps make it flexible. This is most likely to happen at high temperatures, such as when microwaving.
Minimizing your risk
- Use plastic containers and plastic wrap that are labelled as microwave safe.
- Avoid visibly damaged, stained or unpleasant smelling plastics and containers.
- Never heat or store food in plastic containers that aren't intended for food.
Nonstick coatings
Nonstick coatings are applied to cookware and bakeware to:
- prevent food from sticking
- protect the product's surface
Nonstick cookware or bakeware may produce irritating or poisonous fumes if it's heated to high temperatures (for example, an empty pan left on a burner).
Many nonstick coatings are made with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. PFAS are a class of thousands of human-made substances. The most commonly used PFAS in nonstick coatings is polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE.
Since 2006, we have taken various actions on certain PFAS. The risk assessment and potential management of these substances is ongoing. For example, in July 2024, we published an updated draft state of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) report. However, PFAS meeting the definition of fluoropolymers (this includes PTFE) aren't addressed in this report and will be considered in a separate assessment.
For more information on PFAS and what we are doing about them, please visit PFAS and your health.
Minimizing your risk
- Don't preheat empty nonstick cookware or bakeware.
- Don't use nonstick cookware or bakeware with high heat (for example, over 260 °C (500 °F)) either on the stove or in the oven.
- Always use an exhaust fan or ventilate the kitchen during cooking or baking.
- Remove any cookware or bakeware stored in the oven before using the oven's self-cleaning function.
Silicone
Silicone is a synthetic rubber that contains bonded silicon (a natural element that's very abundant in sand and rock) and oxygen.
Bakeware made from food grade silicone has become popular because it:
- cools quickly
- tolerates extreme temperatures
- is colorful, nonstick, stain-resistant and hard-wearing
Minimizing your risk
- Don't use silicone bakeware at temperatures above 220 °C (428 °F) as it will melt if exposed to high temperatures.
- Be careful when removing hot foods from flexible silicone bakeware as the food may slide out very quickly.
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