Question from Debbie

Looking for references for nontoxic flatware and pots and pans made anywhere except Asian countries

You can look at my Ultimate Guide to Non-Toxic Cookware.  Many of the companies listed manufacture in the U.S. or France.  While I am all for buying products made in America, when I evaluate the healthfulness and safety of a product I am more interested in the practices and transparency of the company than the country of manufacture.  I am more confident in the companies who demonstrate commitment to producing safe products, willingness to share information about materials and manufacturing processes, and have strict oversight of the production than I am about the location.

Question from Jennifer

I was wondering if you might be able to recommend safe bakeware, in particular a cake pan and muffin tin. What is the best material that won’t leach chemicals into my food?

You can read more about cookware and bakeware in the Ultimate Guide to Non-Toxic Cookware.  Glass, stainless steel (if you are not sensitive to nickel), and cast iron are best choices.

I use a cast iron muffin pan and glass cake pans.

Question from Tgw

Recently I have read that many pure and naturally grown stuffings (ie kapok and wool) and even GOTS organic cotton from countries other than the USA are fumigated with chemicals (for insects) just prior to entry here to the US.   Products often do not list the country of origin for materials used; how do I avoid this since I have many sensitivities?

I agree this is an issue.  The only way I know of to find this out is to call the company.  There is no other source that I am aware of for this information.

Most ceramic dishware is safe to use as long as it doesn’t contain leachable lead or cadmium.

Lead in Ceramics

Lead has traditionally been used in ceramic glazes and decorations to give it a glasslike finish and allow colors and patterns to show through.  Lead exposure is a serious health concern and every exposure is harmful, particularly to children.¹  The EPA does not consider dishware to be a primary source of exposure but because lead is ubiquitous in the environment, including soil, food and water, it should be avoided when possible. ²   Fortunately, many manufacturers now use lead-free glazes, although lead may still be present in low amounts due to contamination of raw materials from the environment.  Ceramic that is properly fired and doesn’t add lead as an ingredient shouldn’t leach.³

Cadmium in Ceramics

Cadmium is often added to glazes to create bright red and orange colors.  It is present in low levels in the environment and primary sources of human exposure are through certain foods and smoking.  Higher levels of exposure in children have been linked to neurological problems.⁴

Regulations for Ceramicware

There are regulations to keep consumers safe from lead and cadmium exposure but they are limited.  The FDA randomly tests ceramicware for leachable lead and cadmium and keeps a record of products that have failed. California Proposition 65, which requires warning labels on products that contain harmful chemicals at unsafe levels , has a much more stringent standard for lead and cadmium.  If you’re buying new dishware, choose products that do not carry a Proposition 65 warning label.  As an extra step before purchasing, check with the manufacturer to ensure the product doesn’t exceed Proposition 65 lead and cadmium limits.

Are Your Dishes Safe?

If you can’t determine if your current dishes were tested to meet California Proposition 65 or if they were purchased before the guidelines were published in 1987, you can follow these general guidelines.

• Plain white dishware is more likely to be free of lead or cadmium.
• These types of ceramic dishes are more likely to be a source of lead or cadmium:
  • • Handmade (unless you can confirm the ingredients and proper firing)
    • Antique
    • Chipped or damaged
    • Ceramics colored red, yellow, or orange
    • Labelled as “Not Food Safe”
    • Ceramics with decorations on top of the glaze or rim
• You can test for lead using lead test strips.  A negative reading doesn’t guarantee there is no lead, but a positive reading will tell you there is lead.
• Tamara Rubin of leadsafemamma.com, uses special equipment to test individual products for lead content and reports on her findings. Keep in mind that even if a product tests positive for lead content it does not tell you anything about whether lead will leach out into food.  Properly fired ceramics shouldn’t leach but you may choose to avoid dishware with lead content, particularly if levels are high, as a precautionary measure.

Question from Echo

II have vinyl peel and stick flooring in three rooms in my house. They are about 3-4 years old. I want to remove or cover them all as I have small children. Do I need to remove it completely and then cover it?  If I cover it with ceramic tile or organic wool carpeting will the toxic voc’s or contaminates still seep through?  One of the floors is in my son’s room so I want it to be completely safe.

I would remove it because vinyl is one of the most toxic plastics and is likely to have formaldehyde.  Ceramic tile will create more of a barrier that carpet.  It will probably block some of the fumes but I am not aware of any concrete data that will tell you how much it would block.  As you very aptly point out, it is for your young child’s bedroom so all the more reason to take the safest route.

Question from Sarah

Hi, I am shopping for flooring to do my whole house upstairs and down. Kids rooms as well. I am very sensitive to fumes. We saw an affordable flooring we liked today but it’s an engineered vinyl ? Dynamix Is the company. What to do? Hardwood is so pricey and not durable with 3 children . I feel stuck. Any tips?

Cali LVP is the only brand of vinyl flooring I recommend.  Andy Pace, from The Green Design Center, has tested many vinyl flooring products that claim to be free of formaldehyde and found that they still emit  this dangerous chemical.  Cali is the exception and the only one he sells.

Question from Michayla

Hi there! I’m pregnant and we’re wanting to purchase our mattress asap since it will take a month or so to get here once we do. We are looking at the OMI Rossa mattress which is GOLS and greenguard certified. It does have coils and latex. I know Debra has recommended oMI before, but want to make sure these two things are still okay to use. Thank you.

Is this a crib mattress or one for you?

My top recommendation for mattresses is Naturpedic.  They have a GOTS-certified factory which ensures that no harmful chemicals are used at any stage of production.  For adults, they have a GOLS certified latex mattress without coils, if that is your preference.

OMi is also a very good, safe mattress.

Question from  Luuk

I am getting an induction stove.  What, other than cast iron, pots do you recommend?

There are stainless steel pots that  are made of 430 grade stainless steel which can be used on induction stoves.  The brands made with this steel are noted in my cookware guide.

You can also use carbon steel.

Question from Janet

Question from  Liz

I am not supposed to wear a face mask due to a serious medical condition, but my doctor won’t let me in the office without one (not to mention the grocery store). Have you found any masks made with safe material that are easy to breath in? I’ve heard surgical masks are the easiest to breath in (though not designed for protection from viruses) but I’ve read that even some of those are made with toxic materials, plus they used to be restricted to medical professionals. A friend suggested a face shield since they are easier to breath in, but I imagine the plastic in those is toxic.

If you have any research on this, I’d much appreciate hearing it!