[klipt]

Right but in the absence of regulation, I would treat with suspicion e.g. fast food in any plastic container (or waterproofed "paper" container which usually means a plastic layer too).

I consider glass, stainless steel, and cast iron safe, and try to avoid almost anything non stick or plastic for cooking/food storage.

[fnordpiglet]

PTFE (nonstick coating marketed under Teflon) is safe unless you inhale a lot of its fumes by heating it to over 500F. And by a lot I mean cases of fume fever show up with people welding lots of ptfe. You are probably thinking of Perfluorooctanoic acid, which is carcinogenic but most exposure happens from fabric coatings. It was banned in the US in 2013 and none of it is manufactured or used in the US currently.

Which is an example of regulation of additives to plastics. The plastic itself (PTFE) isn’t the problem, it’s the additives.

I’d point out interestingly PTFE is what Goretex is made out of. You heat PTFE then jerk it hard and it foams into a fabric.

[klipt]

> The plastic itself (PTFE) isn’t the problem, it’s the additives

Yes and what additives are being added to the PTFE in your non stick pan now? Do you know? Are they proven safe or merely not banned yet?

[fnordpiglet]

In the absence of regulation I see no reason to believe that metal is stainless steel, that glass is unadulterated, or that iron doesn’t have toxic metals mixed in.

I would focus energy on advocating for regulation unless you smelt your own metals.

Edit: I’d be much more afraid of heavy metals from low quality steel, glass, and iron than modern plastic additives. Food grade plastics are heavily regulated, but metals and glass not really outside of a medical setting.

[klipt]

Toxic metals have been understood for a while so I would hope they are better regulated.

Plasticizers are clearly not well regulated yet, "BPA free" stuff just uses BPS which is just as bad.

[fnordpiglet]

Hope isn’t a strategy.