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Myth vs fact · Kitchen

Are black plastic spatulas safe? The viral number was wrong

Safer than the viral post said: two corrections, including a 10× math error, put exposure about 50× below the US safety limit, though we’d still swap them.

A 2024 study found flame retardants in some black plastic utensils. Then a 10× math error made the risk look far bigger than it is.

2 min read · Written by · Checked · 2 sources

Myth

Black plastic spatulas are as bad as a fork full of fire retardant.

Fact

The viral study had a 10× math error. Corrected exposure is about 50× below the US safety limit. Still worth swapping, but not for that reason.

How much, after the correction

  • Corrected estimate, per day7,900 ng

  • US safety limit, per day420,000 ng

Bars drawn to scale. Figures as reported after both corrections Source 2

Where did the black plastic scare come from?

From a 2024 study that tested black plastic kitchen utensils and found flame retardants in some of them. Source 1

The headline number that went viral compared that exposure with a US safety limit, and the maths was wrong twice: the limit was put 10× too low, and the exposure itself was overestimated. Corrected, the exposure is about 50× below the US safety limit. Source 2

Is black plastic made from recycled electronics?

Some of it is, and that plastic can carry brominated flame retardants into hot food. Source 1

Should you still swap your black spatula?

Yes, but not for the viral reason. The corrected risk is small, so this isn’t a reason to panic. It’s an easy swap with a second upside: nylon utensils also release small plastic molecules at high heat.

Stainless scratches non-stick pans. Many wooden and bamboo sets don’t say what glue or finish they use, but our pick uses none.

Sources (2)
  1. Liu et al. 2024, Chemosphere: flame retardants found in some utensils
  2. Retraction Watch: corrected exposure is ~50× below the US safety limit

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