CAREFUL! These Common Kitchen Utensils Could Be Toxic

To be totally honest, I'm not much of a cook.  I mean, I will do it on occasion, but it's not my passion like it is for other people.  So, I don't have super nice, expensive cookware like some people do.  It's not really a priority.  I just get that group pack of cooking utensils and call it a day. They are cheap, and they work.

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Now, I find out that some of those utensils that come in a pack, or even single, could be toxic!

It seems like the group of kitchen utensils that you can buy together are many times black.  I don't see a lot of matching utensils that are stainless steel.  Maybe it's just because of where I shop, or those are just the cheap ones, and stainless steel are more expensive.  Whatever the reason, the utensils I have are mostly black ones.  And apparently I need to throw those out and get new ones.

The recommended kitchen utensils are either wooden or stainless steel.

Recently there was a warning put out in the New York Times stating "Black plastic kitchen tools may expose you to toxic chemicals".  That doesn't sound good at all.

...there’s a high chance that black plastic can contain concerning levels of toxic chemicals, including flame retardants, which can leach into food during cooking.

Odds are, not everything black and plastic in your kitchen contains such chemicals. But experts say that it’s impossible to tell for sure whether the black spatula in your utensil crock is contaminated. That’s because the source of the chemicals seems to be recycled plastic from e-waste, and labeling on recycled content can be inconsistent.

The problem comes about when the black plastic utensil you're using comes into contact with heat while you are cooking.

Holidays are coming, maybe it's time to ask for a "cooking utensil upgrade".  New gadgets are always fun too, and if someone loves to cook, this is a great gift idea.  Plus, better for your health, apparently.