If you recently panicked over your black plastic spatulas, you’re not alone. A widely shared study had many people (me included) tossing their favourite cheap plastic kitchen tools after claims they contained dangerous, cancer-causing chemicals.
But after only a few weeks, it looks like I’ll once again be scouring Coles shelves for a new set of black spatulas after scientists admit they made a big mistake in their calculations.
Kitchen panic over toxic chemicals—Was it too soon?
Last October, a study published by Toxic-Free Future and the Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment at Vrije Universiteit tested 203 household items made of black plastic.
Their findings? A shocking 85 per cent contained high levels of toxic flame retardants—chemicals linked to hormone disruption and even cancer.
The worst offenders? My beloved $4 black spatulas and takeaway sushi trays.
Co-author Megan Lieu explained that these chemicals, mainly Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209), come from recycled electronics like TVs and mobile phones.
“These cancer-causing chemicals shouldn’t be used to begin with,” Lieu said at the time. “With recycling, they are entering our environment and our homes in more ways than one.”
The internet, of course, went into full meltdown mode, with social media flooded by debates over whether to ditch black plastic utensils for the seemingly safer (and pricier) wooden and stainless steel cookware.
But now, the scientists behind the study have issued a correction—admitting they made a mathematical error in their calculations.
Scientists admit to major calculation error
The original study claimed that someone using contaminated black plastic utensils could consume 34,700 nanograms of BDE-209 per day, dangerously close to the U.S. reference dose of 42,000 nanograms per day for a 60kg (132 lbs) adult.
But here’s the embarrassing part: they miscalculated the reference dose—it should have been 420,000 nanograms per day instead of 42,000. That means their initial warning was way off, and the actual intake levels are far below dangerous thresholds.
In an official correction, the authors stated:
“We regret this error and have updated it in our manuscript. This calculation error does not affect the overall conclusion of the paper. The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
Dr. Ian Musgrave, a molecular pharmacologist from the University of Adelaide, called the mistake “insanely embarrassing”.
“It also shows the peer reviewers were not paying enough attention,” he told ABC News.
Should you still toss your black plastic utensils?
So, what does this all mean for your kitchen? There’s still no solid proof that black plastic utensils pose a real health risk to humans.
While some animal studies suggest that PBDEs (a group of flame retardants that includes BDE-209) could disrupt hormone function, research on humans is inconclusive.
High doses in rats and mice led to neurodevelopmental issues and even liver tumours, but those doses were extremely high and given over 90 per cent of the animals’ lifetimes.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified PBDEs as “not classifiable” in terms of causing cancer in humans due to a lack of strong evidence.
Social media reacts—again
When the initial study dropped, people had strong opinions. Now, with the correction, reactions are just as divided.
“More than 40 to 50 yrs we have all used these… we are all alive, same illnesses are then and now, no change” said one user in a related social media post.
“Well, we’re all going to die eventually. Everything gives you cancer these days.”
So, should you toss your black spatulas? That’s up to you. While the study’s correction suggests they may not be as dangerous as initially thought, if you’re worried, switching to stainless steel, wood, or silicone utensils could be a safer bet.
At the very least, it’s probably not worth panicking over.
