Category: Cooking safety

According to the PET Resin Association, while standard PET (PETE) is not oven-safe, special grades of crystallized PET (CPET) are manufactured specifically to withstand higher temperatures. This critical distinction determines whether your container is a safe cooking vessel or a melting hazard when asking, "Is PETE safe for the oven?"

Capsaicin, the active compound in cayenne pepper, is what causes the intense burning sensation and can cling to your skin for hours. Knowing how to remove cayenne pepper from your body is essential for preventing prolonged discomfort and avoiding spreading the irritating oil to sensitive areas like your eyes or face. This guide provides science-backed methods for immediate relief.

Most food-grade parchment paper is coated with food-safe silicone, making it non-toxic for cooking. But is it okay to accidentally eat parchment paper? For most people, a small, ingested piece of this cellulose-based product will simply pass through the digestive system harmlessly.

When foods are cooked at high temperatures for too long, they undergo chemical reactions that produce potentially harmful compounds. So, is overcooked bad for you? While occasional char is not a major concern, frequent consumption has been linked to health risks, including potential carcinogens.

Small doses of neem oil, as little as 5-30 mL, have been known to cause severe poisoning in infants and neurological symptoms in adults. This fact underscores a critical point: you must never use neem oil for cooking, despite its numerous purported health benefits when used topically or in controlled medicinal forms.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food cooked with alcohol can still retain a significant amount of the original alcohol content, with some dishes retaining up to 85%. This raises a critical question for many parents: can children have food with alcohol in it? While it's a common misconception that all alcohol cooks off, a dish's final alcohol level is influenced by several factors, including cooking time, temperature, and ingredients.

According to the Food Standards Agency, cooking starchy foods at high temperatures for too long forms acrylamide, a compound thought to be carcinogenic. The widespread practice of high-heat cooking has raised serious questions about the safety of our food, leading many to ask: is it healthy to eat overcooked food?

According to sources like the Mount Sinai Health Library, ingesting a significant quantity of raw baking powder, well beyond standard baking use, is considered a medical emergency and can lead to severe gastrointestinal distress. While a staple leavening agent, consuming a teaspoon directly is not advised and poses considerable health risks.

According to reported medical cases, intentional ingestion of large quantities of cream of tartar has led to life-threatening hyperkalemia, or excessive blood potassium. This makes it extremely unsafe to drink cream of tartar, despite some unproven claims about its health benefits.

An estimated 99% of humans have trace amounts of 'forever chemicals' (PFAS) in their bodies, sparking concerns about everyday products. This raises a critical question for many modern kitchens: Do air fryers release metal toxins and harmful chemicals from their non-stick coatings?