Hidden Dangers Of Crock Pot Cooking
The crock pot is probably the best invention ever made for a busy mom. That is, of course, until it starts silently making you sick. You’ll never taste it and you’ll never smell it but if you have been eating it, it will cause damage to your body in potentially many forms: cancer, heavy metal toxicity, Alzheimer’s and more.
Currently there is one crock pot that appears to be safe. This product, linked below, is ranking off the charts by some of the most strict foodies.
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The FDA says a food vessel is unsuitable for food and do not use if, “A hole is bored through the potential food-contact surface.” To read the FDA guidelines on lead guidelines click here.
As a consumer you sadly need to become a detective before purchasing many food related products. These guidelines can help. Scroll to the bottom for the current information on the best rated options. Many people say Hamilton Beach Crock Pots are a good lead-free option, however the Material Safety Data Sheet may surprise you, and inform otherwise.
Obtain the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) data from the manufacturer. Different countries have different rules regarding what the MSDS must contain. Many require information on the individual product: hazardous ingredients, fire and explosion information, information on any potential chemical instability including potential products that could cause a contact reaction and toxicological properties that potentially cause ill health. This sheet is different for each individual product.
Teflon coating, like this one (which frankly, without the Teflon coating could be the best product around) contains heavy metal poisoning that damages health. In addition, over time, the coating is known to flake off and become part of your food, which you eat. Click here to read more on the dangers of Teflon coating.
Heat and time are both contributing factors to leaching. The crock pot uses both.
Many enamel coatings contain lead. Lead is a toxic heavy metal that builds up in the body and has been directly linked to autism, behavioral problems, mental disabilities and degenerative brain function. “Lead will replace calcium, for example, cadmium will replace zinc, and aluminum and nickel will replace magnesium and manganese. These substitutions will allow a certain degree of vital enzyme function, but in time lead to physiological dysfunction,” says the WAP Foundation.
These toxins build up in the body over time causing organs to malfunction, overburdens phagocytosis and makes a person sick. Phagocytosis is the process in which the body literally gobbles up foreign matter. Click here to watch a quick video of phagocytosis in action. Click here to watch this “microscopic police force” actually chase after foreign matter in an effort to eradicate its presence. Toxic chemicals within the cookware can leach into the food leaving the user with toxicity that does not leave the body until it is proactively chelated. Chelation, by definition, bonds central metal atoms at two, or more points. The word chelate come from the Greek word chele meaning claw as it grabs heavy metal toxins like a crab’s claw, not letting go.
Many people say Hamilton Beach crock pots do not leach lead and passed the lead swab test, an over the counter tester that when rubbed against a product like a crock pot for 30 seconds will turn red if it contains lead. Click here to see the swab testers. Holistic Squid did this test at home with no lead testing on two Hamilton Beach crock pots, then tested miscellaneous items around her house where the swab immediately turned red once it hit her leaded glass window.
Currently the Insta Pot, with a stainless steel bowl, is rated the best, can be used to saute vegetables and it doubles as a pressure cooker. Most importantly it does not contain these toxins. Click here to see the Insta Pot. Click here for a video on how to use the Insta Pot as a crock pot.
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Chantal currently show to be naturally enameled, creating a more non-stick surface. Click here to see a Chantal pan. Click here for a pot.
One of the most common dangers of chemical leaching comes from to go coffee lids, specifically disposable ones. Click here for
one of the top rated to go coffee cups, also Chantal. Plastic chemicals specifically leach into food when they come in contact with acidic or hot items, coffee is both. Click here to read more.
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*Nourishing Plot is written by a mom whose son has been delivered from the effects of autism (Asperger’s syndrome), ADHD, bipolar disorder/manic depression, hypoglycemia and dyslexia through food. This is not a news article published by a paper trying to make money. This blog is put out by a mom who sees first hand the effects of nourishing food vs food-ish items. No company pays her for writing these blogs, she considers this a form of missionary work. It is her desire to scream it from the rooftops so that others don’t suffer from the damaging effect of today’s “food”.
Tag:Food, Health Support, Heavy Metals, Toxicity
24 Comments
I would like to see this be addressed on Dr. Oz show. You need to send him your info and get on the show to bring this out in the open! Great job. Thanks for looking out for people. P.S. I bought one of those pot about 6 months ago. Love it!
I couldn’t find where to click to see the best crock pot,,, Are you referring to the Instapot as a crock pot?… I am lost…
Thanks for the heads up – here’s a video on how to use the Instapot as a crock pot. I’m going to add it to the post for clarity.
This is a crappy article. WHat about all those crock pots that are ceramic. You don’t even mention those. Don’t be spreading fear over a wide base when really it refferes to the coating and miterial of a few. Let’s be reaponsible and share options, otherwise people will stop listening.
With the ceramic crock pot it doesn’t come into contact with any metals so I wouldn’t worry about the lead leach aspect of it. I think this is mainly if you have a metal/stainless steel type slow cooker/pressure cooker.
I have read that lead can be in the glaze of the ceramic pots.
“Clemson University’s Cooperative Extension attempts to allay consumer fears with the following information on lead in ceramics, but even it admits that there could be lead in crock pots, ‘Enamel-coated iron and steel is colorful, stain and scratch resistant and does not pick up food odors. It does not contain lead, except in some glazes for slow-cooking pots (crock-pots). However, the amount of lead leached into food from these pots does not exceed FDA standards.’
“The problem with even a little lead leaching into your food (because, let’s be clear, the FDA standard allows for some lead to leach), according to Mayo Clinic, is ‘Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over a period of months or years. Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems.’ This means that while one serving of food prepared or served using ceramics that leach lead might not hurt much, over time the cumulative affect could cause lead poisoning.”
You can see the whole article here: http://terminalverbosity.com/soapbox/environment/the-skinny-on-lead-in-crock-pots-it-may-surprise-you/
I am split in half right now because I just bought a vintage Rival crock-pot with a “harvest gold” glaze. And now hear that yellow can also indicate cadmium. Ach! For me, what would be ideal would be a Pyrex glass insert to go into one of these older slow cookers. I need an old one from before they monkeyed with the temperatures and made most of the slow cookers run too hot for my cooking style.
all ceramics are glazed and fired, no crock pot is safe because of that. All Glazes have lead.
Thank you Bob for telling me my article is crappy, that’s nice.
Each post only has so much room to explain issues. Crock pots have been discussed in prior posts.
The onus is on the author not to inadvertently misrepresent the facts.
A single line could have prevented the failure, in this case.
Shame on you for deflecting the issue.
Odd
Is there anything under $50 that is safe? I have a Crock Pot (1 gal) and my daughter has one almost identical to the one pictured at the top.
First, before doing anything with the crock pot you have I would get a lead tester, linked in the post or from the hardware store. Your crock pot may not have any issues.
Yeah, I’m thinking of buying an insta-pot to start making stocks and bone broths for my LGS. I’m a guy and don’t know how to cook anything, I Can make cereal, that’s about it. 🙁
I have heard that instapots leach aluminum? Anyway you can test this?
The aluminum portion on the Instapot is sealed within two inner layers of stainless steel. There is no way it can come in contact with food from what I understand. Can you please link differently if you know more?
Are all of the models of the instant pot the same regarding the lead exposure?
I do not understand what you mean regarding the Instant Pot having lead exposure. Can you please clarify? The pot is a stainless steel pot. The inner lining is sealed within the pot.
Everytime I dry my cleaned Hamilton beach crock pot, the towel has black stains on it. The crock pot is black. I don’t know if I should trust it.
I only use my Crock Pot brand slow cooker once in a while. The black ceramic looking pot smells, I mean really stinks. I tried an experiment. I washed it again, the smell went away, and I didn’t use it, but put it away again. Within 2 days, it stunk again. It’s not a food smell. It is stored with the lid sitting in the pot, not sealing it, with a clean flour sack kitchen towel over it to keep dust off. What is causing that smell? I tried googling it, but only got articles about things not this. I am thinking of throwing it away. Not feeling safe about feeding my family with food from it.
Interesting. I have no idea. Would love to hear from you if you figure it out. I wouldn’t use it either. It sounds like the pot has absorbed something, like cast iron.
I’ve used crock pots for the last 50 years. The fears are unwarranted. I’d be more worried about the antibiotics, steroids, growth hormones, and God knows what else, injected and fed to farm animals. That’ll hurt you worse in the long run.
I have a Ceramic Crock Pot with an glass like inner lining (enamel?) On several occasions I’ve cocked stew or vegetables in it overnight and had something horrid leach into the food. It would seem that it overcooks gets far too hot and it leaves the food with a horrible metallic taste. I’ve tossed these dishes out after only a taste. I don’t know what is in them but after this last time the crock pots going in the trash and I doubt I will bother with another one. No matter what it is made of. And after reading this I am going to be even more picky about what I cook in. The last 3 years I’ve used only Cast iron frying pans and stainless steel pots. No Teflon and now no Ceramic either.
EXACTLY or at least that is what I understand from this article. Ill need to do my own research but I am thinking that is the key point to take from this. Many frying pans now have ceramic coatings as well the new no stick stuff