Metal cookware and bakeware should be designed to allow them to be easily cleaned. There should be no cracks or rough edges that can trap or hold food or bacteria.

Avoid using metal or hard plastic utensils on cookware. These utensils can scratch surfaces, melt, or shorten the cookware's lifespan. Use wood, bamboo or silicone. Never use cookware if the coating has started to peel or wear away.

ALUMINUM

Aluminum cookware is very popular. Nonstick, scratch-resistant anodized aluminum cookware is a good choice. The hard surface is easy to clean. It is sealed so aluminum cannot get into food.

Over the years there have been concerns that aluminum cookware increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. However, the Alzheimer’s Association reports that using aluminum cookware is not a major risk for the disease.

A greater risk to health is uncoated aluminum cookware. This type of cookware can easily melt and increase the risk of burns if it gets too hot. Still, research has shown that the amount of aluminum this cookware leaches into food from is very small.

LEAD

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

Any ceramic cookware bought in another country or considered to be a craft, antique, or collectable may not meet FDA specifications, and should not be used to hold food. Test kits can detect high levels of lead in ceramic cookware, but may not detect lower levels that may also be dangerous.

See also: Lead - nutritional considerations

For more information on dietary exposure to lead, visit the FDA Center for Safety and Applied Nutrition website - http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov

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Review Date: 05/05/2011
Reviewed By: Alison Evert, MS, RD, CDE, Nutritionist, University of Washington Medical Center Diabetes Care Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)