Air fryers are now kitchen staples, but are the nifty devices safe?
Air fryers have become a staple of many kitchens across the country. The nifty gadgets take up less space than a traditional often, cook food quicker and healthier, and are said to be more energy efficient.
And while that can seem like a complete win-win, some people have raised concerns about their potential impact on the health of users. The devices cook food by having a mechanical fan send hot air swirling around the items in their interior trays, mimicking the results of deep frying but without all the oil.
The fan ensures that the heat is distributed evenly around the food, ensuring the inside is fully cooked and moist, while the outer layer is nice and crispy.
Depending on the size of your air fryer, you can cook a large family meal without high-calorie oils, meaning you and your loved ones can enjoy tasty, nutritious food quickly.
But some people have started questioning the safety of the appliances, with some asking if they are “toxic” or even “DNA-altering” – though there appears to be no evidence to back that up.
However, one of social media’s most prominent health experts took to TikTok to debunk the claims and set the record straight on the risks of air fryers.
NHS surgeon Dr Karan Rajan, who regularly shares health advice to his five million followers, addressed the health fears in a clip back in 2023.
Captioning the video: ‘Toxic air fryers?!’ he said that the “biggest concern of fear-mongers centres around the non-stick materials, also known as forever chemicals”.
He said: “Well, fun fact, every time you sit down to eat, microplastics float from the air and land in your food, or are already part of your food, invisibly becoming part of your stir fry.
“Now when it comes to air fryers, the worries about toxic chemicals leeching into your food is only really an issue if the material is damaged.
“So as long as you don’t plan to eat the lining of your air fryer, you’ll be fine. Just try to minimise how much damage and scratching there is to the non-stick coating”.
Dr Raj said you should “clean it safely” and avoid using abrasive materials when you’re giving it a scrub, as they could potentially damage the coating.
He suggested using “wood or silicone utensils” and “liners”. He added: “And if you’re really worried about the non-stick coating you can use a ceramic or stainless steel air fryer”.
People seemed very relieved by his assessment and took to the comments section to share their thoughts.
Someone said: “Ugh thank you for sharing, I’m so tired of fear-mongering”.
And another commented: “I remember when there was scaremongering about microwaves”.
