Pay attention to the “six taboos”, otherwise stainless steel tableware will poison you
In daily life, many of the pots and pans at home are made of stainless steel, which is favored by consumers because of their durability, cleanness, and environmental protection. Improper use of stainless steel tableware can also cause chronic poisoning and harm people’s health.
Stainless steel is made of iron, chromium, nickel alloys, and then mixed with trace elements such as molybdenum, titanium, cobalt, and manganese. Its corrosion resistance depends on chromium.
After chromium comes into contact with oxygen in the air, a protective film will be formed, which is attached to the surface of stainless steel to play a role in corrosion resistance. If used improperly, this protective film will be destroyed, and the heavy metal chromium inside will be released. Long-term use of such tableware, heavy metal chromium will slowly “accumulate” in the human body, endangering health.
Therefore, the following points should be paid attention to when using stainless steel tableware:
1. Avoid storing foods that are too acidic or too alkaline. Stainless steel tableware is not suitable for holding salt, soy sauce, vegetable soup; also not suitable for holding acidic juice drinks, etc. Because the electrolyte in these foods can have a complex “electrochemical reaction” with the metal elements in the tableware, destroy the protective film of the tableware, and cause excessive dissolution of heavy metals. Especially note that it is not easy to make tea in a stainless steel cup. Soaking tea water in a stainless steel cup for a long time will severely corrode the surface of the stainless steel, damage it and directly endanger human health.
2. Avoid boiling and frying Chinese herbal medicine. Chinese herbal medicines have complex ingredients, and most of them contain a variety of alkaloids and organic acids. When heated, it is easy to chemically react with certain components in stainless steel, which reduces the efficacy of the medicine, and may even generate some more toxic substances.
3. Avoid washing with strong alkali and strong oxidizing agents. Alkaline water, soda, and bleaching powder will also “electrochemically react” with certain ingredients in the tableware, thereby corroding the stainless steel tableware and causing it to dissolve harmful elements.
4. Avoid cooking food on a high fire. Stainless steel has a low thermal conductivity and slow heat dissipation at the bottom. If the firepower is too high, the bottom can be scorched and agglomerated.
5. Avoid empty burning. Compared with iron and aluminum products, stainless steel cookware has lower thermal conductivity and slower heat transfer time. Air burning will cause the chrome coating on the surface of the cookware to age and fall off.
6. Pay attention to the maintenance of tableware. After using it for a period of time, the surface finish of stainless steel tableware is gradually foggy. At this time, just use a soft cloth dipped in decontamination powder to wipe lightly and it will be as bright as ever. Do not rub it with steel wool or sandpaper. In addition, the bottom of the pot is sometimes burnt by accidentally sticking ashes. Soak it in hot water, and then gently scrape it off with bamboo or wood chips. Do not scrape it with a shovel, kitchen knife, or other sharp objects. Also, avoid collisions with hard objects and handle with care to avoid scars, unevenness, and affect the sealing function.
When choosing stainless steel tableware, you should carefully check whether the material and steel number is marked on the outer packaging, and you can use magnets to judge. At present, the stainless steel used in the production of tableware mainly includes “austenitic” stainless steel and “martensitic” stainless steel. Bowls and plates are generally made of “austenitic” stainless steel, which is non-magnetic; knives and forks are generally made of “martensitic” stainless steel, and “martensitic” stainless steel is magnetic. In addition, we must carefully observe the outer packaging of the tableware. The standard outer packaging should be marked with the manufacturer’s name, address, telephone number, and the sanitary standard GB9684-88 of the container.