Food For Thought ~ Getting Microplastics Out Of Our Mouths

This is something I should have been paying attention to long ago. It has gradually dawned on me that our bodies cannot cope with a build up of plastics, yet our kitchen might be full of plastics that eventually shed microplastics into our food. The following is a list of things to consider turfing for a safer alternative.

Don’t believe everything that is labelled as safe or BPA free. Plastic, especially with repeated use and heat, will eventually release particles or chemicals into food, tea, coffee etc.

Plastic water bottles. This one is probably the most well known contributor. Switch to stainless steel or borosilicate glass as it leaves no taste, is non-toxic, and is stronger than other types of glass.

Non-stick frying pans and cookware. These are advertised as safe and non-toxic, but for how long? As soon as they are scratched or reach a certain shelf life, they are supposed to be replaced as they will leach chemicals into food after a certain point. Often they are scratched but the scratches are not visible to the naked eye, so you might think the pan is okay, when it is not. Plus who wants to buy new pans every year or two? Like good kitchen knives, a good pan should last a lifetime or longer. Switch to stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, or enamel coated cast iron.

Once you delve into it, the history of cast iron is quite interesting. You can use chain metal to clean cast iron. The key thing is to season it well, and wash it with hot water, without using dish detergent. Then dry thoroughly and coat it with a bit of avocado oil each time. Avocado oil has a higher smoke point than some of the other oils.

Some cast iron experts swear by Crisco, or lard. I have been using avocado oil, but it might be a good idea to switch to Crisco, because it has so many good reviews from those who changed from avocado oil to Crisco for seasoning the pans. 

Some people will tell you not to use a metal pot scrubber on cast iron, but what else can you use? Avoid steel wool. Chain metal is the preferred method, but chain metal is stainless steel, the same as the pot scrubbers are.

If you go on YouTube to learn about cast iron care, you will find a plethora of information. Some people even use an electric sander to sand the inside of the pan, to make it smooth. So I figure the pan can handle a quick scrub with a metal pot scrubber.

After you use the pan a few times, food does not stick as much. I find that it helps build up the seasoning in the pan if you heat it on the stove top after use, coat it with oil, and leave it on medium heat while you do the rest of the kitchen cleanup.

Never soak cast iron, and make sure it is dried well after cleaning. You can buy silicone handles as the handle tends to get hot. 

Update Feb 5th, 2025 – I stand corrected. There is so much contradictory advice out there on cast iron care, it is hard to know what is the best. The key thing is to make sure you do not leave it soaking in water. I have used stainless steel scrubbers on a cast iron frying pan, but some of the experts say to use coarse salt instead.

Another cleaning tip is to heat the pan, and then add hot water (not cold or it might crack). After adding hot water, it can be scraped with a wood spatula or a non abrasive scrubber. Most people agree that chain metal is okay to use, which is basically stainless steel. Others claim that using soap on a well seasoned pan is a non issue, because the seasoning on the pan forms a strong polymer, and will not be emulsified by the soap. 

However I did watch a video where a guy with a wall full of cast iron frying pans, adamantly said “Do not use soap”. So, as it is with all things, live and learn. So far I have not seen any damage from using a metal pot scrubber. From past experience, when I was young, I did give up on using cast iron, because of the rust caused by not caring for it properly. Something I did not know at the time, is that even if a pan does rust, it can be restored, by scrubbing off the rust with salt, and then seasoning it again.

Regardless of what you do, in almost all cases, it can be cleaned and re-seasoned. A quick Google search says not to pour cold water onto a hot pan, or to drop it from a height, or use harsh scrubbing tools. So I might opt for a less harsh scrubbing tool, to be on the safe side. But almost all people use stainless steel utensils on cast iron, so it seems to me that would be as harsh as a stainless steel scrubber, especially if the food is stuck onto the pan, or you are doing frequent flipping and stirring. Either way, cast iron is 98% iron, and is tough enough to last a hundred years or more.

There are two types of stainless steel frying pans. The most common is 304, but if you can find 316 stainless steel, you will get a much better frying pan that won’t warp. The key with both stainless steel and cast iron is to pre-heat it before adding oil, and then again before adding food. You can get an inexpensive infrared thermometer to test the temperature of the pan.

Plastic cutting boards are also a source of plastic food contamination. A much better option is wood. You can buy Canadian maple cutting boards on Amazon. Bamboo is probably the cheaper alternative but might dull your knives. Use food grade mineral oil to treat them. After cutting chicken or meat, you can clean with lemon juice and baking soda or a solution of bleach.

Food storage in plastic is another source of contaminants. Some people opt for silicone, but frankly, I do not fully trust silicone either. Borosilicate glass is the best option, as it can stand thermal shock and is freezer safe.

Tea bags, and single use coffee pods are among the worst culprits. For awhile I was opening the tea bags and putting them in a stainless steel tea strainer, but apparently the tea is already contaminated. You have to buy organic loose leaf teas, or you can make your own blends. You can also buy special carbon filters for French press coffee makers.

Water jugs also need to be made of borosilicate glass. The plastic water jugs with filters inside might be NSF approved, but the jugs themselves are made of plastic, so what is the point of using those?

Air fryers and many other appliances have non-stick coatings, and can release chemicals into food.

Cutlery drawer organizers are often made of plastic. You can get bamboo organizers that expand to fit the drawer.

The test for silicone, if you do use it for baking, is to twist it and see if there is any colour change. If parts of it turn white, it is not good quality and will break down.

Plastic utensils should be switched to stainless steel, or wood. Do not buy lacquered wood utensils because they too, are coated in plastic. You can use the food grade mineral oil on wooden spoons and spatulas if you want to, the same as what you use on the wood cutting boards. 

Salad spinners are a real challenge. No matter how much you search, if you do find one that is stainless steel, most of them still have a plastic liner. The few brands that do have a stainless steel basket, are very expensive, and have low reviews on Amazon.

Sometimes a salad spinner is advertised as glass, but is actually hard plastic. The solution I found that works, is to put one of those expandable stainless steel steamers in the bottom of a plastic salad spinner, so your greens are not coming in contact with the plastic. It works fine, and is a lot cheaper, as I already had a plastic salad spinner. I am going to try a deeper light weight basket that fills in the sides, to see if that works even better. 

Then there is dental floss. Apparently silk floss is the best, as far as not releasing any plastic into your mouth. It is also impractical and expensive. It also has poor reviews, and breaks easily. One review claimed that the silk got so stuck between teeth that it required a trip to the dentist.

It might be okay for some people, but those with teeth very close together, are more likely to have floss break between teeth. If this does happen, usually it can be dislodged after ten or twenty minutes of oil pulling, and/or the use of a water pick.

The better choice might be bamboo with charcoal. It is fairly strong, and eliminates 80% of the plastics that are in regular dental floss. It also comes in a cool little glass bottle with a metal lid. 

Another thing to consider, is the use of plastic pot and vegetable scrubbers. You can opt for chain metal, or natural coconut bristle brushes, as better alternatives. Silicone for lighter, non scratch scrubbing, is probably better than the old fashioned plastic chore girls, as they used to be called.  

Oh and don’t forget about the measuring cups, hand juicers, measuring spoons, and funnels. You can buy stainless steel alternatives at the dollar store. You can also buy mini wooden spoons for measuring herbs and spices.

Canned goods are plastic lined, and will also leach plastics, especially if the food is acidic like tomato sauce. Reduce the use of canned goods, and opt for whole foods when possible. When pouring the contents of the can out, do not scrape or rinse the inside of the can. 

On the bright side, the wood, glass, metal, and cast iron does lend an old fashioned appeal to the kitchen decor. May our food be blessed with nutrients, not plastics!

Protect your organs and lymphatic system from plastics. 

Eat hearty!