It\u2019s more than likely you\u2019ve come across silicone. There\u2019s quite possibly a silicone spatula, whisk or measuring spoon in your kitchen drawers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But, do you know the difference between silicone and plastic?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what two experts have to say about silicone, including its safety, life span and how it differs from plastic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What is silicone? And how does it differ from plastic? \u00a0<\/p>\n
Oliver Jones, a professor of chemistry at RMIT in Naarm\/Melbourne, says while plastics and silicones are both polymers they have different chemistry.<\/p>\n
Is your black spatula safe?<\/a><\/p>\n Chemosphere \u2013 a peer-reviewed scientific journal \u2013 was forced to issue a correction after scientists made a major error calculating the toxicity of black plastic kitchen utensils.<\/p>\n \u201cPolymer is a general term for any substance composed of repeating simple sub-units \u2026 to form long chains.\u201d<\/p>\n Silicone, Professor Jones explains, \u201cis a generic term for a range of man-made polymers made up of a silicon-oxygen-silicon chain\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPlastics are generally based on a carbon chain with various other atoms or molecules as side groups from the main backbone.\u201d<\/p>\n More Lifestyle storiesWhat the e symbol after the weight on some packaged foods means<\/a>Non-stick, stainless steel or cast iron: Which cooking surface is best?<\/a><\/p>\n At a more practical level, Nathan Kilah says the main difference between the silicone and plastics we tend to use in the kitchen is thermal stability.\u00a0<\/p>\n A senior lecturer in chemistry at the University of Tasmania in Lutruwita, Dr Kilah says the \u201cunderlying silicon oxygen bonds give it a degree of stability that other plastics don’t have, and that’s why it’s able to be used so effectively as cookware\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n He says a plastic spatula \u2014 as opposed to a silicone one \u2014 is more likely to melt or chip away.<\/p>\n Dr Kilah says the flexibility of silicone is also an asset, particularly with products such as muffin or cupcake trays.\u00a0<\/p>\n Is silicone safe to use?\u00a0<\/p>\n Professor Jones says silicone utensils and cookware are \u201csafe to use for their intended use\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSilicone utensils \u2014 like all food contact materials \u2014 are extensively tested.\u201d<\/p>\n There are also different grades of silicone, he explains, with some rated to higher temperatures.\u00a0<\/p>\n