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How safe are black plastic spatulas? The risks in health warnings
Fudging mistakes undermines trust in science and paves the way for unintended consequences.
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The great proliferation of black plastic spatulas itself was spawned by a spate of health scares of varying credibility.
PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
F.D. Flam
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In December, a bungled health warning over black plastic spatulas didn’t help faltering trust in science. First, researchers warned us to throw away the ubiquitous utensils because the recycling process might have incorporated toxic contaminants beyond the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) safety limits. Then someone pointed out the researchers had made a big maths error. The black plastic warning turned out to have been based on incorrect information. Contaminant levels were actually more than 10 times lower than EPA limits.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Americans remained wary of black plastic utensils. Alarming health news, especially when it comes from prestigious universities or other trusted sources, has a way of lodging in people’s minds.
