Suitable Food Containers

Some of the materials used in making food containers can enter the food during cooking and have certain effects. The types of food containers and their effect on cooking are as follows:

∴ Aluminum containers Aluminum containers are light and conduct heat well. More than half of the cooking containers used today are aluminum. Some evidence indicates that aluminum causes Alzheimer's disease, although this relationship has not yet been fully proven. People who use uncoated aluminum containers every day for cooking and storing food introduce approximately 3.5 milligrams of aluminum into their body per day. The more food is cooked or stored in these containers, the more aluminum enters it. However, the "World Health Organization" has estimated that adults can receive more than 50 milligrams of this substance per day without any harm. Leafy vegetables and acidic or salty foods such as tomatoes, citrus, and rhubarb, if placed in aluminum containers, absorb the most aluminum and cause a large amount of it to enter the food. They also cause these containers to become pitted. Therefore, cooking these foods in aluminum containers is not recommended.

∴ Copper containers Copper is a good conductor of heat and can control the cooking temperature well with it. Brass containers are also made of copper and zinc and are used less. Small amounts of copper are beneficial to health, but large amounts of it can be toxic; for this reason, copper containers are usually coated with a layer of another metal such as tin, steel, or nickel to prevent copper from entering the food. This layer dissolves into the food in small amounts during cooking, especially if acidic foods are cooked or stored in these containers for a long time. Also, by scratching or abrading these containers during washing, the protective coating layer is destroyed. Scratching these containers should be avoided, and one should not cook in containers whose coating layer has been destroyed. The "Food and Drug Administration" has warned about the use of uncoated copper containers, because this metal, when it enters food in large amounts, causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

∴ Steel containers These containers are made from a combination of iron and other metals and are very durable and resistant to wear. These containers contain chromium, nickel, molybdenum, and titanium, which give the container hardness and make it resistant to damage caused by high heat, scratching, and abrasion. Steel containers do not transfer heat uniformly. Most of these containers have an aluminum or copper bottom. The producers of these containers warn that acidic foods (such as meat, tomatoes, plums, corn, split peas, beets, etc.) and salty foods should not be stored in steel containers for a long time.

∴ Non-stick containers Although the coating of these containers comes off by scratching or abrasion, the "Food and Drug Administration" has confirmed that these particles pass through the body unchanged and are excreted and pose no danger to health. Non-stick containers become harmful only when heated above 350 degrees Celsius or 650 degrees Fahrenheit. This happens when an empty frying pan is placed on the flame. In this case, the non-stick layer releases a smoke that is toxic and irritating; of course, it is less toxic than the smoke that ordinary oils create over heat.

∴ Disposable containers When using disposable containers, attention must be paid to the abbreviation engraved on the bottom of the container: the use of "polyethylene (PE)" and "polypropylene (PP)" containers, which are white and are mainly used for packaging and storing dairy products, oil, and vinegar, is fine for warm and moist foods. The use of "expanded polystyrene foam (EPS)" containers and white "polystyrene (HIPS)" containers poses no problem for warm and moist foods but is unsuitable for storing hot foods, for example at a temperature of 140 degrees Celsius. The use of "transparent polystyrene" containers is suitable only for cold drinks and is not suitable for hot foods such as tea and coffee.

∴ Steel containers In most homes, the kitchen is the heart of family life. Also, ensuring the safety of this place is one of the most important matters for protecting the child's health. In every ordinary kitchen there are hidden dangers that can threaten the child's health, but you can ensure the child's safety with proper design and by making the necessary changes. Here are some points that can be useful for designing a safe and practical kitchen: • You must be aware of the dangers that household cleaning materials pose to the child. Use materials that have the least toxicity, and keep them in a safe and locked place in a way that does not attract the child's attention. • Place knives and other sharp tools such as the blades of electric mixers in locked drawers. Of course, some children can open safety locks. • Keep glasses, knives, and hot foods and drinks away from the edge of the table. Do not use a tablecloth or similar things either, because the child can pull them and spill whatever is on the table onto themselves.