Black plastic spatula swap to Wooden or steel utensils

Why make the swap

• Why switch to wooden or steel utensils

  Solid hardwood such as beech, with no glue or varnish, or all-stainless steel.

• What's the concern with black plastic spatula

  Black plastic recycled from e-waste can carry brominated flame retardants into hot food. Nylon also releases oligomers at high heat.

• General information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing or have a health condition.

• Good to know before you buy

  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 (3)

  1. Liu et al. 2024, Chemosphere: flame retardants found in some utensils (opens in a new tab)
  2. Retraction Watch: corrected exposure is ~50× below the US safety limit (opens in a new tab)
  3. ECOSALL: beech spoons 'non coated, not varnished and not glued' (opens in a new tab)

  Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.