Hi roselady,
Thank you for your question.
Copper should not be in direct contact with most foods, and is lined
with another metal for safety. Tin is often used as a lining for
copper cookware, and poses no health problems. Unlined copper can
pose a problem.
Cookware Safety - COPPER COOKWARE
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3864.htm
"Copper is an excellent conductor of heat, especially good for
top-of-range cooking. Cooks often prefer copper cookware for delicate
sauces and foods that must be cooked at precisely controlled
temperatures.
Copper cookware is usually lined with tin or stainless steel. The Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) cautions against using unlined copper
for general cooking because the metal is relatively easily dissolved
by some foods with which it comes in contact, and in sufficient
quantities can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea."
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COPPER
http://fantes.com/cookware.htm
"Certainly the finest practical conductor of heat for a cooking
utensil is copper. Its primary advantage is that it requires only low
to moderate heat to obtain the best results. And its conductivity
makes it especially responsive to almost every cooking need. Copper
has about ten times the heat conductivity of stainless and glass, and
twice that of aluminum. So watch the amount of heat you give it.
Because it is a soft metal, a heavy gauge is more desirable for
utilitarian reasons, as is hammering, which makes it stronger and able
to withstand many more years of use. Its primary disadvantage is that
it is reactive to acidic foods, so it is usually lined with another
metal, the most common and practical of which is tin, that, unlike
stainless steel or nickel, is readily refurbishable."
[...]
"Tin, coating the inside of many copper pans, is not reactive and we
couldn't find studies that indicated it poses any health threats."
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Copper is the Choice of Professionals - Linings
http://fantes.com/copper_cookware.htm
"Its primary disadvantage being that it is reactive to acidic foods,
it is usually lined with another metal, the most common and practical
of which is tin, that, unlike stainless steel or nickel, is readily
refurbishable."
*****
Health & Copper
"You'll find copper listed on vitamin bottles for its benefits to our
health. We have not found enough research to indicate how much copper
you would have to absorb for it to be damaging to your health, but we
do know that a lot of it will leach into acidic foods, causing an
unpleasant taste and usually a change in coloration. That's should be
good enough to discourage anyone from cooking acidic foods in copper
that is not coated; the stainless, nickel and tin linings will keep
the food looking and tasting better, and you'll be healthier for it.
Tin, coating the inside of many copper pans, is not reactive and we
couldn't find studies that indicated it poses any health threats."
=========
http://fantes.com/kettles.htm
"Copper kettles are generally the most efficient because of their
speed. As the most conductive material for making kettles, it will
heat the water from all sides. Take care not to put them over high
heat; it's not necessary and they'll last a lot longer if you don't
"abuse" them as such."
Care of Tin-Coated Products
http://fantes.com/tinned_metals.htm
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keyword search:
tin-lined copper cookware tea kettle safety
FDA tin-lined copper health
=========
Best regards,
tlspiegel |
