Is there any agency that oversees cooking equipment?

September 23, 2017 11:14 AM

Is the Rockcrok safe to use?

I recently came into possession of Pampered Chef's newest pan, the Rokcrock which is made in China, including some parts made in Korea. It is very lightweight compared to stoneware cooking pans. The Rokcrock is purportedly made from "a new kind of clay" to enable it to be lighter, while maintaining the qualities of cast iron and heavy stoneware containers.

My question is: Is there any agency that oversees cooking equipment to make sure no toxic materials are used? I remember the early teflon pans, which had a coating that could be very harmful.

I'm wondering if I should stick to my vintage Revereware, vintage cast iron, and lead-free stoneware?

Thanks in advance for any insights and advice!

posted by ragtimepiano to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

Response by poster: PS Spelling should consistently be Rockcrok, sorry about that.
posted by ragtimepiano at 11:17 AM on September 23, 2017

The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) is the American organization that typically reviews kitchen products for safety.

Certification is voluntary, however, and usually only commercial kitchen equipment tries for this mark.

I don't see anything on the NSF search page for Pampered Chef's Rockcrok, but their product page describes it as a glazed clay material. As long as the glazing is intact, it seems like it wouldn't be a problem.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:59 AM on September 23, 2017

It depends on what country you are in, but in most countries all consumer food contact goods are regulated and the manufacturer needs to have positive proof that the materials used meet the requirements of the safety standards. In the US this would be covered by the CPSC and FDA. EU is covered by both regional and country specific legislation.

Pampered Chef and other large brands generally have extensive testing programs to avoid issues since the brand equity lost by a recall or public issue is not as expensive as properly testing items. There is nothing to worry about.
posted by Nackt at 12:03 PM on September 23, 2017

I do t believe there is a government agency that reviews the safety of foreign produced goods like this. If you have concerns I think your best bet may be to contact Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

I've contacted CFPB before and had great experiences. However, I think it's probably unlikely that either of these government agencies would be able to answer your specific question. You may want to try contacting a trade association (American Chemical Society maybe?) or a consumer protection association watchdog that focuses on this kind of thing.
posted by forkisbetter at 8:40 AM on September 24, 2017