Silicone molds: the risks of choosing wrong and the 5 things you have to know if you are going to use them

The growing interest in healthy eating has led many people to start preparing pastries at home. The good thing about this option is that we can choose the most natural ingredients and prepare them in the healthiest way possible (without adding sugar, flour, fat…) and choose the healthiest cooking methods and kitchen utensils. However, are we taking into account whether the utensils we use for cooking are totally safe?

The silicone baking molds They have entered many homes. However, according to recent research, we should pay attention to silicone baking molds, since they may not be as healthy as we thought.

Silicone moulds: do they have risks?

Utensils made with silicone elastomers they are not totally inert. Contact with greasy or oily foods can lead to a migration of substances from the mold to the food, especially when subjected to high temperature, if compared to other molds such as metal ones.

Also, during the use of these containers, volatile organic compounds such as siloxanes can be formed. In fact, to reduce the risk of this happening, after the manufacturing process of the silicone molds for baking food, they undergo a heat treatment, a process known as post-curing and consists of heating at 200 °C for at least 4 h.

However, a recent study carried out by researchers from the University of Zaragoza that has analyzed silicone molds sold in the Spanish market has served to discover that not all molds are the same: there are molds that have not passed the post-curing process and this could represent a health risk.

How to reduce risks with silicone molds

The authors of the research indicate that if we want to buy quality silicone baking molds we must look at the indications of quality certification by the manufacturer, such as those made of platinum silicone.

It is true that, although studies show the presence of substances of concern in silicone baking molds (such as naphthalene, bisphenol A, aromatic amines), still there is no regulation that establishes limits that ensure that materials in contact with food do not pose risks to consumers.

For this reason, different organizations such as the OCU have made a request for have regulations, since exposure to these substances due to the cocktail effect, even at low doses, and their impact on health cannot be underestimated.

What can we do then? The Danish Consumer Council Think Chemicals, which has also analyzed the migration of compounds in silicone molds when exposed to high temperatures and has warned of the need to regulate materials that are in contact with food, suggests 5 usage tips for silicone molds:

Buy EU certified molds, not of unknown originThat they have written on the product the maximum temperature to which they can be exposed, and respect the temperature limits when using it. Before baking for the first time, wash the mold and heat it for two hours at 200 degrees without content, to further reduce the amount of substances that will be released later when baking with the foodAvoid placing the molds very close to the walls of the oven.discard the molds when they are clearly worn.

The Healthiest Baking Pans

The best thing about making desserts at home is being able to choose healthy ingredients and adapt them to our needs (no added sugar, no milk, no gluten…). There are many options to eat healthy sweets, with easy, delicious and very creative recipes. But for healthy recipes we must also choose a suitable baking container.

Although silicone molds for baking confer advantages (such as that they are easy to unmold, to manipulate, they come in many different shapes and colors, and it is a very versatile material that can be used in conventional ovens, microwaves, and freezers), let’s not forget that among the the healthiest materials for baking are glass molds and stainless steel.

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