SILICONE
To silicone or not to silicone? I get this question ALL the time! My answer is unsurprisingly dependent on context because yes or no answers don't generally work for all situations when it comes to toxin avoidance.
Silicone, when used at room temp or fridge/freezer temps, appears to be totally fine. I use silicone bags to store fruit, nuts, etc. all the time and think they are great alternatives to plastic bags and heavy glass containers.
When it comes to using silicone at temps of 300°F or higher, there's some research suggesting that at these temps, potentially endocrine-disrupting compounds called siloxanes can be released.
Not all silicone is created equal; standard, food, and platinum grades exist. Standard and food-grade silicone use peroxide in the curing process - this is cheaper and requires the use of fillers, which have the potential to be problematic. Platinum grade silicone uses platinum in the curing process; it's more expensive, but it does not require any fillers. Medical grade silicone uses platinum in the curing process.
SO, if you're using silicone for food contact, it's best to look for Platinum Grade!
Can you put silicone in the dishwasher?
Yes. Water temps in dishwashers usually go up to around 200°F, far less than the temps that may induce the leaching of siloxanes.
Silicone is great for infant and toddler dishes, popsicle molds, bags, like @stasherbag etc.
BUT, keep in mind that this material is neither biodegradable nor recyclable. This means that it ultimately is like plastic in that it will be around forever. For this reason, I'm very judicious about my use of silicone. You don't need silicone-coated metal whisks - this to me is unnecessary and renders that metal whisk non-recyclable.
I do think that silicone bakeware molds are FAR less concerning than non-stick, so if you have them, I don't necessarily think you need to toss them. Just something to be aware of for future purchases.
Are you or your clients confused about silicone cookware? What are your thoughts on this? Let's continue this convo in the comments!
"Is silicone actually safe to cook with?" - I get this question a lot.
There's not a hard 'yes' or 'no' answer on this, but we do know that when heated (like in an oven), silicone may release compounds that we want to avoid.
1️⃣ Silicon and silicone are not the same things.
💫 Silicon is an element on the periodic table of elements and is the primary constituent in silica or sand.
💫 Silicon is made by heating silica.
💫 Silicon is then mixed with hydrocarbons - ie petroleum products in a complex chemical reaction to create silicone monomers, which are then linked together to create the final silicone product.
Dyes, fillers, or other chemicals can be added to achieve different qualities of silicones, so silicone products are not all the same.
2️⃣ There is evidence that when heated, particularly in contact with higher fat foods, silicone materials can release chemicals that may be endocrine-disrupting. The EU considers some of the chemicals released from silicone, referred to as siloxanes, to be endocrine disruptors.
Because of this, I discourage the use of silicone in high heat situations; ie, cooking or baking with silicone. For room temperature or fridge/freezer use, I’m more comfortable recommending silicone, in the form of ice cube trays, chocolate molds, spatulas, and alternatives to ziplock bags with products like @stasherbag
The downside of this rush to buy all silicone everything is that these products are not easily recyclable and don’t biodegrade. So they pose the same broader environmental challenge as all other plastics; they are forever products.
"What about parchment paper - that's silicone-coated too?"
A Norwegian Food Safety Authority report from 2017 found that while silicone bakeware did leach siloxanes, all samples of parchment paper did NOT.
So, whenever possible, use parchment instead of silicone mats when baking, and skip on silicone baked good molds!
➡️ This is one of hundreds of topics we explore inside my Talking Toxins professional course, which is going on sale next week for Black Friday!
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