Plastic cooking utensils have grown increasingly popular over the years because of their attractive looks and their ability to be used on non-stick surfaces. Typically they are easy to clean and last quite a long time. On the surface they are nearly the perfect compliment to the modern kitchen.

Unfortunately convenience usually comes with a price, and this is no exception. The plastic in the objects themselves is, generally speaking, inert and does not give off any odors. In the practical sense however these tools comes into regular and continuous contact with high temperatures and varying levels of acidity. Prolonged exposure and improper manufacturing can lead to chemicals leeching into your food.

The primary culprit is Polyamide. It is used because of it's sturdiness and ability to stand up to high temperatures, and seems well suited to the task. The problem is that Polyamide is made with another chemical known as MDA to increase it's rigidity under high heat, so your spatula does not wobble on the skillet. MDA is classified as a category two carcinogenic and is obviously not what anyone would choose to put in their food.

All plastic cooking utensils regardless of how they are made are safe to use until they reach a maximum temperature. Unfortunately they are not labeled with this information and the temperature can easily be exceeded, leading to melted tools that smoke and leave a harsh odor. Simply breathing this in can lead to unacceptable levels of exposure to dangerous chemicals.

Next time you are cooking try skipping the plastic cookware and go back to wood. Not only are they made from a renewable resource they also do not leach any harmfull chemicals into your food, providing you buy untreated wood of course. The results are suprisingly good compared to plastic and they last quite a long time. If youa re concerned about germs staying on the tools simply wash them with a bit of white vinegar to completey sanitize them. Discoloration of the wood is normal and should not effect the color and taste of your food in any way. 

If you are uncomfortable using wooden tools for any reason metal ones work very well, providing you do not use them on non stick pans. If you choose to use these type be sure to only buy stainless steel tools so that you don't replace one leeching chemical for another.