Food is closely related to human health because they are the closest contact with food. Some people may say that it is not enough to rinse the pots and pans cleanly. In fact, the inherent quality of tableware is also very important. Poor selection will have a negative impact on our health. There is a dizzying variety of tableware on the market today. In terms of materials, it is generally divided into ceramics, enamel, wood, bamboo, plastic, glass, iron, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, etc. Scientific research has shown that some tableware contains certain toxic substances. After contacting with certain foods, the toxic substances in it will enter the food, which is harmful to human health. Therefore, we should be very careful when choosing tableware.
Advantages and disadvantages of tableware of various materials
1. Ceramic tableware: It is a great invention in China and is used the most.
The production methods of ceramic tableware are divided into three types: on-glaze color, under-glaze color, and in-glaze color. What are on-glaze, in-glaze, and under-glaze colors? Why is the surface of porcelain smooth and bright? This is because it is covered with a layer of enamel. As the name suggests, on-glaze color is the painted pattern attached to the glaze surface, in-glaze color is the painted pattern melted into the middle of the glaze, and under-glaze color is the painted pattern on the underglaze ceramic body. We see that the patterns are also painted on the surface of the tableware, some are smooth and flat, some have a protruding sense, and there is also a clear sense of unevenness when touched by hand. On-glaze color is to paint the pattern on the burned porcelain body, and then fix it by high temperature heating. If the craftsmanship is not excellent, the on-glaze color tableware will wear out or peel off after a period of time. In addition, some on-glaze pigments contain harmful metals such as lead and cadmium. These harmful elements are easily dissolved when cooking acidic food, which is harmful to health. Therefore, when purchasing daily-use porcelain, it is best to purchase advanced technology and use environmentally friendly pigments. For daily use porcelain, you can also choose ceramic tableware with underglaze color and underglaze color.
2, enamel tableware:
It is resistant to acid and alkali corrosion and has stable chemical properties. However, enamel tableware is made of iron products fired with enamel, and enamel contains compounds such as lead silicate, which are harmful to the human body.
3. Wooden tableware:
Economical and practical, but easy to be polluted and difficult to clean, except for wooden panels, chopsticks, etc. Wooden tableware has been used less frequently.
4. Bamboo tableware:
Bamboo chopsticks are the most used, which are economical and practical, and do not waste wood, but they should be kept dry, otherwise they are prone to mold. Especially in the south, in the rainy and humid season, you should pay attention to washing them and put them in a ventilated place.
5. Plastic tableware:
The advantages are light weight, beautiful appearance, not easy to break, and low price, and are deeply loved by people. However, plastic tableware is mostly made of polyvinyl chloride and other polymer materials with additives. If the monomer vinyl chloride is not removed cleanly or the additives are used improperly, it will also endanger human health. Non-toxic plastic tableware is made of raw materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene and melamine. Melamine plastic is a kind of thermosetting plastic. It is made of melamine (melamine) formaldehyde resin as the main raw material, adding an appropriate amount of pulp cellulose fillers and colorants and other auxiliary materials. It is non-toxic, tasteless, acid and alkali resistant. It is mostly used to make children’s tableware on the market.
6. Glass tableware:
Clean and hygienic, generally free of toxic substances. But glass cutlery is fragile and sometimes “mold”. This is because the glass is eroded by water for a long time, and the sodium silicate in the glass reacts with carbon dioxide in the air to form white carbonic acid crystals, which are harmful to human health and should be washed off with alkaline detergents frequently.
7. Iron tableware:
Generally speaking, iron tableware is non-toxic. However, it should be noted that iron utensils are prone to rust, and rust can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset, poor appetite and other symptoms; in addition, it is not suitable to use iron containers to hold cooking oil, because the oil is stored in iron utensils for too long. Easily oxidative deterioration.
8 aluminum tableware:
Aluminum products are widely used because of their lightness, durability, high quality and low price. Although there is no complete scientific research data to prove the relationship between aluminum tableware and human health, most experts believe that excessive accumulation of aluminum in the human body will accelerate human aging and be harmful to health. Therefore, when using aluminum tableware, do not scrape it. If you scrape off aluminum chips, it is best not to eat it. In addition, aluminum tableware should not be cooked with acidic and alkaline foods, otherwise, aluminum will be dissolved in large quantities.
9 copper tableware:
The appearance is gorgeous, the color is like gold, and it is very stylish, such as copper hot pot, which is very popular among people. The trace copper elements dissolved when cooking food in a copper pot are beneficial to the human body. However, after the copper is rusted, “patina” (basic copper acetate) and blue alum (copper sulfate) can be produced. Both verdigris and blue alum are poisonous and can cause nausea, vomiting and even poisoning. Therefore, for copper tableware with patina, it should be removed before use.
