do you use silicone cookware?

If you use silicone cookware, check if it's safe.

Headline (paywall):

Is Silicone Bakeware Safe?

Who can help but be charmed by the cute silicone molds for baking cupcakes, mini-loaves, donuts, and practically anything else imaginable? They brighten store shelves with a rainbow of cheery colors, and tens of thousands of happy customers have left glowing reviews. “Silicone molds are so easy to use!” “They can go from freezer to oven!” “They really are nonstick!” “Cleanup is a breeze!” “No more scrubbing crumbs off of metal muffin tins!”

While all of those claims may be true, some have questioned how safe silicone really is for use in food production. Does it leach chemicals into food? Is it safe to use at high temperatures? Does it contain BPA?

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Silicone is made by combining silicon—the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust, after oxygen—with oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen through several complex processes, to form a rubber-like synthetic polymer. Silicones were first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1977 as being GRAS—“generally recognized as safe” for use in contact with food.

A decade passed before the first silicone cookware products (spatulas) appeared on the market. Since then, the production of silicone kitchenware, including bakeware, molds, utensils, and more, has exploded—but follow-up research has not. Due to its relatively recent appearance in household and commercial kitchens, there is little research to date on any long-term health concerns associated with the repeated use of silicone cookware.

Along with the FDA, Health Canada unequivocally endorsed silicone, stating that “There are no known health hazards associated with use of silicone cookware. Silicone rubber does not react with food or beverages, or produce any hazardous fumes.” Food-grade silicone is generally thought to be non-toxic and chemically stable, as well as non-porous, meaning that it won’t leach chemicals into food, or absorb colors or odors.

Even so, subsequent research has raised questions about safety and quality control. A June 2022 EU report examined the safety of silicone bakeware. After testing 44 different cupcake molds, purchased from a variety of retailers, researchers found that 82 percent released low levels of “substances of concern.” Six of the 44 samples emitted increasing amounts of volatile compounds between the first and third tests, indicating that the material was not stable enough for repeated use. The report concluded that “Silicone is … not inert and may inadvertently add ‘chemical ingredients’ to cakes and other baked goods that consumers neither expect—nor want.”

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In general, high-quality silicone (food grade or above) will be purer, lacking chemical “fillers” that are commonly added to lower-quality products. Not sure about the purity of the silicone cookware you use? Million Marker, an organization dedicated to public education about environmental toxins, suggests using the “pinch test.” Just pinch and twist a small section of silicone rubber. If any white color shows through, that is an indication that the product contains chemical “fillers,” since pure silicone is the same color throughout.

I'll be checking my own silicone cookware tonight once I'm back from my walk.