Question from Janet

Lisa’s Answer

I haven’t looked into this category.  That will be an extensive research project so beyond the scope of the Q&A.  I’ll keep it on my list of future products to investigate.

Question from Bonnie

Lisa’s Answer

Formaldehyde is typically used in clothing to minimize wrinkles.  It can be found even in 100% cotton clothing particularly if it is something that wrinkles easily like a dress shirt.  Here is one older study that tests several clothing items (pg 36) and as you can see there is formaldehyde found in 100% cotton as well as many types of cotton/synthetic blends.  What it also shows is that items that are prone to wrinkling are more likely to test higher in formaldehyde.  Given that a sweater is less likely to wrinkle it may not contain formaldehyde regardless of the material but I can’t tell you that for certain.  You can call the companies and ask them but they are not required to disclose that information.  If the item has a chemical odor that is an indicator (but not definitive) that it contains formaldehyde.

I wish that there was a standard rule of thumb that could tell more definitively what has it and what does not, but that is not the case.

Both slow cooking and pressure cooking are thought to be healthier cooking methods and they are certainly convenient but are the materials used in the appliances safe?

Why I Prefer Pressure Cookers to Slow Cookers

There is no perfect pressure cooker or slow cooker and there are issues with the materials in each type.  The concern with cookware materials is that heavy metals, synthetic chemicals, and contaminants can leach into food. Leaching increases with acidic foods, higher temperatures and longer cooking times.  I prefer pressure cookers because of their short cooking time.  The longer cooking times associated with the slow cooking method will increase leaching of any heavy metals or contaminants in the cookware.

Additionally, most new pressure cookers are made of stainless steel, which I consider a safe cookware material unless you are sensitive to nickel or chromium.  Make sure that the steel does not have a non-stick coating.  Some pressure cookers are made of aluminum which I don’t recommend.  You can read more in the Ultimate Guide to Non-Toxic Cookware about stainless steel, aluminum and non-stick coatings.

There is one caveat.  I don’t recommend using a stainless steel pressure cooker every day or with high frequency.  While stainless steel is one of the safer cooking materials, it does leach nickel and chromium.  You can read more about the health effects here.  I recommend using stainless steel cookware in a rotation of other safe cookware.

Are Slow Cooker Materials Safe?

I don’t recommend any slow cooker for regular use but some are better than others.

Glazed Ceramic

Most of you are probably aware of the danger of lead leaching from ceramic slow cookers.  This became widely publicized after a 2004 investigation by KUTV Salt Lake City found 20% of slow cookers leached measurable levels of lead.  Lead had been used as an ingredient in the glaze to improve shine.  Many manufactures have since stopped adding lead as an ingredient but it may still be present as a raw material contaminate.  Additionally, glazes can contain additives such as titanium dioxide to make white interiors and aluminum oxide to stiffen glazes.  The FDA randomly tests ceramic cookware for lead and cadmium but doesn’t test for other additives.  Additionally, the FDA limit for lead in large ceramic containers like slow cookers is 1 mcg/mL . There is no safe level for lead so it’s important to reduce exposures as much as possible. California Proposition 65 has a much more stringent limit for lead at 0.5mcg/day.  If you have a product that meets or exceeds Prop 65, it’s a better choice than one that does not.  But, due to the long cooking time that could increase the leaching of any contaminants I recommend avoiding this type of slow cooker.

Non-Stick Ceramic Coating

I don’t recommend non-stick ceramic coating for any type of cookware or appliance.  You can read more about it in the Ultimate Guide to Non-Stick Cookware.

Unglazed Ceramic

VitaClay and Miriam’s earthen cookware are two brands that make slow cookers with natural, unglazed clay.  There are no heavy metals added to the clay but because it is a natural material and there is no coating to protect against leaching, any contaminants in the clay could migrate into food.  Both VitaClay and Miriam’s provide testing that shows they meet or exceed California Proposition 65 standards for lead.  Miriam’s earthen cookware website lists one test performed by an independent lab that shows no extractable lead, extractable cadmium or arsenic.  That’s reassuring however, it doesn’t explain the testing method and because it is just one test, it doesn’t show consistent results with different batches of clay.  VitaClay provides one test performed with an acidic solution to accelerate leaching that shows no detectable levels of lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic.

If you currently own one of these, I’m not suggesting that you don’t use it.  There is no evidence that there are harmful substances leaching from these appliances and people have cooked in earthenware for centuries. They may be fine to use but they are not without risk.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel slow cookers are more of a concern than stainless steel pressure cookers because of the long cooking times, which increases leaching.  If you only plan to use a slow cooker occasionally, stainless steel slow cookers are fine but I don’t recommend them for regular use.

My Choice is an Instant Pot multicooker

For many years I used a VitaClay slow cooker but when it broke, I replaced it with an Instant Pot that has both pressure cooker and slow cooker functions.  I use the pressure cooker a couple of times a month and I use the slow cooker function only on occasion.  I don’t use it for highly acidic foods such as chili or tomato sauce.  I cook those in my glass ceramic Visions Dutch Oven.

Question from Debra

Lisa’s Answer

It will eventually cure and stop smelling but the length of time will depend on many factors including the humidity, ventilation, thickness of coats, and whether each coat was dry before you put on another coat.  You can use a fan and humidifier to quicken the pace but I don’t think you want to be breathing the fumes in the meantime.  I would remove it to an outdoor location or garage until the odor subsides.  You can read more here about how to minimize the odor and off gassing from paint.

Question from Darshana

When you are researching again, would you take a look at this popular “ceramic-coated” pan?

Lisa’s Answer

I haven’t looked into this one specifically but I don’t recommend any ceramic-coated pans.  You can read more about it in the Ultimate Guide to Non-Stock Cookware.

Question from Patricia

We live in a 600 square foot condo in a cool, very damp and humid climate on the northern oregon coast.  I am researching ways to decrease indoor humidity to decrease mold etc. as our humidity can be well over 50%. We do not have central air/AC (we have electric baseboard heaters) so I am thinking about portable dehumidifiers.
Are there any trusted brands you can recommend?
Anything I should avoid?
Any help is greatly appreciated!

Lisa’s Answer

I have not investigated dehumidifiers.  Readers, any suggestions?

Question from Pia

i bought a stainless steel coffee pot to eliminate the plasst but now i see there are bpa free coffeee pots-are they safe?

Lisa’s Answer

Unfortunately, The chemicals used to replace BPA have been shown to be just as harmful as BPA.  The Additional problem with coffee pots is that leaching increases with temperature, time and the acidity of the food or beverage.  Coffee is acidic and it the process uses hot water.  Both of these increase leaching.

The precautionary principle is an approach sometimes used by policy makers in situations where there is the possibility of harm from making a decision and conclusive evidence is not yet available.  It essentially means better safe than sorry.  This is the approach that I use in evaluating the toxicity of products.  When I research a product or material and there is credible, emerging evidence that it is potentially harmful I will recommend against its use.  This doesn’t mean you should never use it or throw it away, but rather it’s an indication that there is a reason to be concerned and safer alternatives should be sought when possible.  Think tobacco and asbestos.  For years consumers were told that these products were safe, in spite of evidence to the contrary.

The current regulations in our country are not even close to adequate to keep us safe.

• Over 40,000 registered chemicals are in use in the U.S. and only 1% have been rigorously tested for safety.^{1, 2}
• In the U.S., 11 chemicals have been restricted for use in Personal Care products vs. 1373 in the EU.³
• Congress passed a law in 2016 to improve regulation.  As of 2020, the EPA is actually requiring less testing than under the old law.⁴

The belief that the amount of chemicals present in consumer products is so low that it is not concerning doesn’t take into account the cumulative or synergistic effect of the onslaught of chemicals we are exposed to every day.  This example from oecotextiles.blog illustrates this risk.  “a dose of mercury that would kill 1 out of 100 rats, when combined with a dose of lead that would kill 1 out of 1000 rats – kills every rat exposed!”

We must advocate for dramatic improvements from government and industry in chemical management.  In the meantime, let’s choose to be safe rather than sorry.

Question from B

I have not found a fabric i like via any of the natural couch companies. How can I source my own non toxic fabrics? Do you have any suggestions for interior designers who can help me design a non toxic home?  I am in MA. thank you.

Lisa’s Answer

I don’t know of a designer in Massachusetts but if you do find one that claims to design healthy homes I would check the credentials that qualify them to do that kind of work.  Ideally, I would look for someone with a BBNC certification from the Building Biology Institute.

Eco-terric.com is located in California but they offer nation-wide design services.  The best non-toxic fabric resource is Two Sisters Ecotextiles.  They have a huge selection of very safe fabrics.

I am also available to consult with a local designer.

I was helping a reader evaluate a product made from polyethylene terephthalate and thought it would be helpful to share the information because it can be confusing.  This material has more than one chemical name as well as many brand names.  Also, surprisingly, it is not a phthalate!

Debra Lynn Dadd wrote the following article on zerotoxics.com.

POLYESTER is a category of polymers that have a specific structure. As a material, it usually refers to a the type of polyester called POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE (PET)

It is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used to make

• fibers for clothing (where it is called “polyester” or Dacron)
• recyclable containers for liquids and foods (where it is called PET or PETE)
• film for food packaging and space blankets (where it is called MPET or Mylar)

Polyester and polyethylene terephthalates are one and the same.

Polyester is the third most-produced polymer in the world, after polyethylene (PS) and polypropylene (pp).

GOTS-Approved Polyester & Polyethylene Terephthalate

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) approves certain non-agricultural materials for use in making GOTS-certified products that are primarily made from organic agricultural materials. These “approved” materials must meet the portion of their standard that prohibits a whole list of toxic chemicals. “GOTS-Approved Polyester” and “GOTS-Approved Polyethylene Terephthalate”  are polyester and polyethylene terephthalate, respectively, that qualifies to be used in GOTS-certified organic products because it does not contain any of their prohibited chemicals.

This makes polyester and polyethylne terephthalate two of the few plastics approved by GOTS for the making of the incidental “accessory” pieces needed to construct a quality product.

NOTE: About 85% of polyesters contain antimony, which is not allowed by GOTS. GOTS-certified polyester is tested to ensure no antimony is present in the polyester approved by GOTS. This does not mean that all polyester is approved by GOTS, only polyester that is free of antimony and other toxic residues.

Common Misconceptions

There are some common misconceptions about polyethylene terephthalate.

1. Polyethylene terephthalate contains ZERO polyethylene.

Plastics are made of basic units called “monomers.”

The monomer for PET is ethylene terephthalate. PET is commonly recycled, and has the number 1 as its recycling symbol.

The monomer for polyethylene is ethylene. PE is also commonly recycled and has the number 4 as it’s recycling symbol.

These are two different plastics.

2. Polyethylene terephthalate contains ZERO phthalates.

PET and PETE are acronyms for “polyethylene terephthalate.” It’s logic to think that “terephthalate” contains “phthalates.” But the toxic “phthalates” that leach out of plastics are “orthophthalates,” which is a completely different type of chemical than “terephthalate.”

Health Effects

PET has been approved as safe by the FDA and the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI). In 1994, ILSI stated that “PET polymer has a long history of safe consumer use, which is supported by human experience and numerous toxicity studies.”

I also researched to see if there was any release of chemical gasses from PET into the air. (this is called “outgassing”).

NASA has a website called Outgassing Data for Selecting Spacecraft Materials Online where you can look up all kinds of materials they have assessed because they need to choose materials for spaceships that do not outgas. They found that PET needed zero curing time to be used in a spaceship. So if you are designing a spaceship or some other small area, PET would be a good choice.

All that said, in recent years there have been some concerns about specific uses of polyether and PET.

Problems with leaching from water bottles are the most widely publicized problem. Most commonly discussed is leaching of antimony, a metalloid element that is used as a catalyst in the making of PET. After manufacturing, a detectable amount of antimony can be found on the surface of the PET. While this can be removed with washing, antimony within the PET can migrate into the water in the bottle, or any other liquid contained in a PET bottle. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the health risk of the resulting low concentrations is negligible (1% of the “tolerable daily intake).

Antimony is also present in polyester fibers, but again, will you actually be exposed to it and will it cause a health effect? This well-reserched post says no: O ECOTEXTILES: WIll the antimony in polyester fabric hurt me?

There have also been reports of leaching of aldehydes from PET bottles, enough to give an off-taste to bottled water. Even extremely low concentrations (10–20 parts per billion in the water) of acetaldehyde can produce an off-taste. Whether or not this poses a health risk is undetermined.