Over the holiday I had reason to do some research on two products.

Both were products I had researched in the past. One was a product that I was considering purchasing for myself (the enameled pot I wrote about last week); the other was a product I was researching for a client.

The enameled pot was available as a brand name product and also as a “knock-off.” I had already researched the brand name possibilities, but not the knock-offs. Since this was a fairly pricey item, I really wanted to buy a knock-off but every time I looked at one, I just felt nervous and didn’t want to take a chance. Particularly since I would be using it for cooking food.

I knew the materials used in the brand name pots because I could call their customer service and get the information. But the knock-offs…you can’t even find out who to call. Store brands usually don’t manufacture their own goods and can’t answer questions. And so in the end I went with the brand name item and felt confident that I knew what the materials are.

That said, researching the other product for my client was a completely different experience. With this product it was very difficult to get any information calling the manufacturers. I really got the runaround. But I did persist and finally did get some of the information I was looking for. By contrast, when I contacted the smaller manufacturers who make this product, most of them responded immediately and were happy to talk with me in detail about their materials. One man had worked for the company for thirty years and we had a long talk. On the other hand, one brand had no manufacturer listing at all and I could even find a website for them.

My conclusion from this experience was:

• MAJOR MANUFACTURERS may or may not know much about their product materials, but at least you can generally contact them and ask
• KNOCKOFFS probably won’t know anything about their materials and you won’t be able to reach the actual manufacturer
• SMALLER MANUFACTURERS generally know most about their materials and are happy to tell you

Transparency and disclosure is a big issue I am working on for 2017. As I’ve said before, every product should fully disclose all materials in a format that is easy for consumers to understand.

This is why last year I started Debra Lynn Dadd Recommended Products, to help business communicate with consumers about their materials. Through this program, I write a Materials Review for products, which lists the materials and also gives background information to help consumers make decisions about the products.

Until all products have this level of transparency and disclosure, stick with brand name products and small businesses, where you can actually talk with someone and ask your questions. If there is no brand name or contact information, don’t buy the product.

Buy from reputable companies that know their materials and are willing to communicate about them.

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This new article from GreenMedInfo.com outlines the range of health effects associated with sucralose (aka Splenda), including the first study to evaluate the effects of Splenda (Sucralose) on thyroid function and metabolism in mammals.

GREENMEDINFO: Spenda Suppresses Thyroid Function, Promotes Weight Gain

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After writing this post I found that I actually first suggested this in 2013.

One of the things I love about Larry is he is really good at coming up with “thinking-outside-the-box” solutions to toxic exposures.

For some years one of the most frequently asked questions is “What slow cooker can I use?” And I’ve always had to say “I don’t know of one that doesn’t have lead in the glaze on the pot.” The only exception to this is the Vita Clay cooker, with an unglazed pot, but this is a rice cooker, not a crock pot of any size].

As some of you know, Larry has been living in California with his parents for the last few years while recovering from an accident. And now he’s in the process of moving back here with me. 

While staying with his parents, he saw his father cooking on an induction cooktop. Because he and I both have a tendency to put food on to cook, set a timer and walk away and not hear the timer, he thought we should get one so it will just turn off at the right time and not burn. And that was reason enough for me to agree we should explore the possibility.

An induction cooktop is like a hotplate, but heats food with magnetic induction that directly heats the cooking vessel, so the pot can heat food rapidly. You can also set it to exact temperatures and cooking times, so it will turn off automatically, even if you forget to come and turn it off. It’s so precise, many chefs now use it. It’s easy to carry and can setup anywhere there is and electric plug. So it pretty much can function as a slow cooker.

Magnetic induction doesn’t release toxic pollutants into the air like the combustion by-products from gas. It of course would release some EMFs, but I couldn’t find any data on this. I imagine it wouldn’t be more than an ordinary crock pot and maybe even less.

My biggest concern was the pot. Magnetic induction doesn’t work with my Xtrema cermamic cookware because the cookware needs to be made of a material that is magnetic. You can test any cookware by putting a magnet on it—if it sticks, it will work for magnetic induction. Or look for the induction-ready symbol, or search online for “induction-ready cookware.”

We did some research and decided that the best cooking vessel for us to buy to use with the induction cooker was a cast iron pot with a porcelain enamel finish on the inside. I had already researched Le Creuset and was comfortable with the Le Creuset enamel finish so we bought a Le Creuset soup pot that happened to be on sale at Marshall’s, of all places.

We love this! And we haven’t burned anything since.

We got the NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop. But there are also other brands. We couldn’t find these in stores, but there are many styles on the Internet. We chose this one because it was the one Larry’s father uses and Larry wanted the same one.

NuWave also sells a full line of induction-compatible cookware that has a Duration “ceramic” finish. I called NuWave Customer Service at 1 855 742 2665 and asked what the Duration finish is made of. I found out that they actually have a number of different finishes on various cookware sets and they don’t know what any of them are made from.

I found Duralon online at what looks like the manufacturer’s website. They are in Australia, so they are not available as I am writing this. They have several Duralons made from nylon reinforced with glass or glass and minerals. That’s all I could find. Nylon in general is one of the safest plastics and can be used without melting at very high temperatures.

So while I can’t recommend NuWave’s induction cookware, I can say I’m very happy with my NuWave induction cooker

More on Slow Cookers

We’ve been discussing slow cookers on this blog for years.

Just this last week a reader posted a comment and said that recent tests had found some crock pot glazes to be free from lead!

And she sent me the link: TERMINAl VERBOSITY: The skinny on lead in crackpots—It may surprise you!

The anonymous blogger wrote (in 2009) “I don’t like ambiguity, especially when it comes to the health of my children. So I was alarmed when I couldn’t find a satisfactory answer to the question: “Do modern-day crock pot glazes contain lead that can leach into my food?”

So she found the FDA guidelines, called manufacturers, and tested crock pots herself. And she found ZERO LEAD in the top five brands.

Here are some other interesting links from my reader regarding lead glazes in crock pots:

ECO-FRIENDLY BABY/FAMILY PRODUCTS MADE IN USA: Lead in Hamilton Beach crock pots

LEAD SAFE AMERICA Crock Pots

Regarding this second link my reader wrote, “The lady at Lead Safe America has sons who are lead-injured, so I find her work informative, as she knows firsthand what lead poisoning looks like. It seems to me that some of the crocks contain very low lead because it is inherent in the raw materials, not added in the glaze; I believe that is the point she makes. And this is the same argument made by the Earthpaste toothpaste company — that the lead in their toothpaste is natural in the raw materials. I see that the black Crockpot brand pot at the second link tested as completely lead-free.”

Get an induction cooker and you can choose your cookware. And you can cook in all different sized pots and pans.

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In July 2015 I interviewed a former flight attendant on Toxic Free Talk Radio regarding aerotoxic syndrome—a condition caused by toxic chemical exposure during airplane flights. TOXIC FREE TALK RADIO: Aerotoxic SyndromeL How Flying in Airplanes can Affect Your Health

This week, GreenMedInfo has a new investigative report on toxic exposures in the aviation industry.GREENMEDINFO: “Asbestos of the Sky”—The Aviation Industry’s Darkest Coverup

And here’s a documentary about aerotoxic syndrome: UNFILTERED BREATHED IN—The Truth about Aerotoxic Syndrome

And here’s an article about how pesticides are sprayed on passengers: NATURALHEALTH365: Government advises airlines to spray pesticides on passengers. If this title sounds alarming, check out this report that explains when and why pesticides are sprayed: Flyers Beware: Pesticide Use on International and US Domestic Aircraft and Flights

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This week The Washington Post published a piece about health and environmental effects of clothing production in India, and and how “A new crop of small businesses are investing in organic farming, natural dyes and a transparent supply chain that encourages shoppers to think about the effect of their purchases.”

Good news.

THE WASHINGTON POST: The dirty secret about your clothes

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