Mythconceptions: Silicone Bakeware

Silicone Bakeware Muffin PanRemember Teflon cookware, and how we were told it could be terrible for your health. Now with silicone rubber bakeware becoming so popular, some immediately assume the same concerns apply for these products as well. Is it true, or just a mythconception? 

Silicone cookware is created from a mixture of bonded silicone and oxygen, which is chemically inert. According to the FDA, the product does not emit fumes of any sort, leach into food, or pose any health risks at all. It can be used safely at oven temperatures approaching 500 degrees Fahrenheit. From a very practical standpoint, it can go right from the oven to the freezer, is microwave safe, and easy to clean.

All that said, one source of concern are the reported odors when baking with silicone bakeware, even though Food-Grade silicone produces no odors. It turns out that these odors come from fillers found in cheaper versions (all silicone cookware are not equal!). You can check for the fillers by twisting the product and looking for white. Even though there’s no evidence that those fillers are harmful, the smells they produce may still be enough to make you want to trade them in for a better quality version.

One more concern about these pans has nothing to do with the silicone itself. That is, if you do use these pans keep in mind that they’re flexible. Thus, always place them on a firm surface when baking. If you lift a pan like this out with steaming hot foods in it, you run the real risk of serious burns and a cake on the floor rather than your table.

Verdict? A 10.0 on the Myth-o-meter! 

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