Attention danger. In recent years, silicone molds have multiplied in our kitchens, because – it must be said – they are much easier to use than classic molds, made of cast iron, glass or stone. Your preparation is easier to unmold, the bottom of the mold butters more easily and, above all, it can be cleaned in no time, with a simple wipe of the sponge. However, according to a study by UFC-Que Choisir, they have a real impact on your health.
The consumer association has carried out a test which will be published in its next issue, scheduled for December. On her website, she explains: “The test results are cause for concern: most of the molds tested allow substances to migrate to food in high quantities, even in some cases particularly dangerous substances”. Of the 23 molds tested during cooking, 29 released substances that should not have escaped!
UFC-Que Choisir explains that “the levels of substances emitted are sometimes considerable and for certain molds exceed the maximum limit provided for by French regulations for all substances”. Even more worrying, these substances do not decrease with use for some of the references: one of them thus emits 15 times more substances on the third firing than on the first. “Some molds release substances of particular concern that may cause cancer, genetic mutations or damage to reproductive functions,” the magazine adds. Tupperware, Aliexpress, Carrefour Home, Lily Cook… Many brands are directly singled out by the association. Of the six that are not of concern, two brands – Ikea and Tefal – sell molds “virtually inert with respect to food”.
How to explain such a result? The association points the finger at French legislation, explaining that it “is over 30 years old” and that it is “particularly incomplete by being content in practice to define a maximum level of emissions for all substances combined”. UFC-Que Choisir therefore asks the European authorities to define “a strict regulatory framework on silicone kitchen equipment” and intends to seize the DGCCRF (General Directorate for Competition and the Repression of Fraud) in order to carry out reinforced controls on this type of products.