Silicone in Kitchenware Facts

Silicone is a man-made rubber produced by bonding oxygen and silicon molecules.  It is a man-made polymer, but instead of a carbon backbone like plastic, it has a backbone of silicon and oxygen.  Silicon comes from sand and oxygen comes from air, both are plentiful resources on earth.   

Silicone is reusable, eco-friendly, naturally BPA, BPS, BPF, PVC, phthalates, PFC, perchlorate and nitrate free, does not release dangerous chemicals into food and can be recycled.  Silicone is not toxic to aquatic or soil organisms, it is not hazardous waste. 

Silicone dishes are great alternative to plastics made from fossil fuels and containing harmful chemicals dangerous to health and environment. 

• Silicone is naturally non-stick, so it cleans quickly and easily  
• its non-porous surface helps prevent growth of bacteria  
• it doesn't retain flavors and odors  
• it is resistant to extreme temperature changes - can go straight from the freezer into the hot oven 
• it gets hot and distributes heat evenly  
• it cools quickly  
• it is shatter-proof  
• it is freezer, dishwasher and microwave-friendly  
• it can be folded for storage purposes  
• it has a writable surface for easy food labeling
• it will last for years, even with frequent use, so you can save money while saving the planet
• there is a difference between food grade silicone and platinum silicone in silicone kitchenware. Only food grade silicone products should be used in silicone kitchenware.

The addition of fillers, colors and other chemicals have the potential to allow the harmful chemicals to migrate into your food. ​Poorly made silicone cookware may also leak out colors and give a bad odor.   

Most silicone kitchen items are made from silicone with fillers and colors, which can compromise the quality and durability of silicone or can be dangerous to your health.  

A slight yellowing of pure, unaltered and untreated silicone can happen over time with certain deep colored foods.  This is a natural process and does not affect the properties of silicone. To remove the yellow coloring, add white vinegar to your wash cycle or microwave the bag with white vinegar inside it.

Be aware that phosphate-free dishwashing detergents may cause silicone dishes to end up with water spots or hold onto certain smells/tastes. It’s no big deal, just add some white vinegar to your wash cycle.

FDA Food Grade silicone is the only type of silicone approved for use in the food industry by Food and Drug Agency (FDA).  It is pure, unaltered and untreated with platinum.  It also means that the silicone kitchen product has been tested per FDA-required chemical tests  (21CFR177.2600) in the FDA-approved chemical laboratory.  

The pure FDA Food Grade silicone is defined by law in the Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 177.2600, which lists specific validated chemical tests to determine the purity of silicone by the "total extractive residues" tests using different solvents.  ​

Only 100% pure, uncolored silicone will pass the strict chemical tests mandated by FDA.  ​All 100 % Pure Silicone Products are Clear in Color. 

Yes it was! Please email us at "info@puresiliconeware.com"  for the secure FDA chemistry testing report. 

During FDA testing, a small amount of silicone is dissolved in different solvent solutions.  Each solvent solution is tested for the presence of anything other than silicone.  ​If nothing other than silicone is found, it means that the silicone is 100% pure.  

A common misconception is that the "pinch test" is a way to tell if the silicone has filers.  However, it is not more than the urban myth. The "pinch test" is not a real scientific test and, therefore, totally unreliable.  The only way to verify is to simply ask for the testing result document with the picture of the product tested.   

Some manufacturers perform FDA testing on the pure silicone starting material and add colors and fillers to the kitchen product they manufacture.   They do it because the FDA testing would fail for any product with colors and fillers and they are trying to hide the true content of their silicone kitchen product.