Safe cookware is indispensable for human beings. It not only helps to make the food tastier but also facilitate healthy cooking.
If you are a bird owner, then it is important to choose safe cookware materials which not only look good in your kitchen but also safe for your birds.
In this article, we’ll discuss a few cookware materials which are safe for birds.
Materials That Are Harmful For Birds
1. PFOA/Teflon
PFOA or Perfluorooctanoic acid, which is used to manufacture Teflon, is one of the dangerous materials. It can cause heart abnormalities, liver toxicity and even cancer in birds. These chemicals are generally found in non-stick cookware & bake ware.
2. Aluminum
Aluminum is another dangerous material used to manufacture cookware. Too much intake of aluminum is harmful for human beings as well as birds. Although generally safe, aluminum cookware can become hazardous for birds, especially if it is scratched.
3. Tin
Tin makes your cookware shiny but it can be fatal for your birds. If the cookware is decorated with shiny tin, then there are chances that the paint might contain some toxic material which can cause serious health problems in birds.
Another reason why one must avoid tin cookware for their birds is that many species of birds love to chew & scratch their food from the surface. This may cause toxic exposure.
4. Copper
Another harmful material for birds is copper. It has been observed that birds are attracted towards shiny objects because of their vibrant colors.
Shiny copper cookware can attract birds who may try to peck at it, which may lead to serious health problems. One should always avoid using polished copper utensils in the bird cage.
5. Zinc
Zinc is another metal which should be avoided to cook in bird’s home. The problem with zinc cookware is that, if it comes in contact with any acidic content then it leads to the release of poisonous zinc oxide & vapor which can affect a bird’s health.
6. Brass
Brass is a type of alloy which contains copper and zinc. This makes it more dangerous for pet birds, as the birds try to peck at it often leading to health problems including weakened immune system & anemia. This cookware can also cause kidney failure in your pet bird.
Materials That Are Safe For Birds
1. Ceramic
Ceramic material is good for birds as they are made up of non-toxic materials. Ceramic materials are durable, can be installed easily and above all they look good in your kitchen!
2. Glass
Glass made cookwares are safe for your pet birds because they don’t come in contact with the food. Also, it is easy to clean and doesn’t contain any heavy metal or lead content which can be harmful for your pet birds.
3. Stainless Steel
Stainless steel cookware is safe for birds as there is no risk of chemicals leaching out from them and entering your bird’s food. Also, stainless steel is easy to clean and doesn’t corrode easily.
4. Silicone
Silicone cookware is safe for birds as they are made up of food grade material which makes it really safe for your little friends. They are flexible, non-stick & heat resistant too!
5. Copper-Clad Stainless Steel
They are made up of a layer of stainless steel and copper. They don’t corrode or leak metals into your food and are safe for birds and they also help to spread heat evenly, making it easy for you when cooking.
Preferred Materials For Different Cookware
1. Skillet And Saucepan
Most of the time bird owners tend to use a skillet and a sauce pan. As far as, buying them is concerned you should look for those made from glass, stainless steel, or cast iron.
You can also buy copper sauce pans as they look very attractive in the kitchen and also safe for your pet. However, in most of the cases, copper sauce pans are not available in home stores so you need to buy them from outside.
2. Cookie Sheets And Baking Pans
Cookie sheets and baking pans can also be helpful in cooking delicious food for your birds. So when purchasing these items, you can buy the ones made from glass, stainless steel or cast iron.
3. Dining Utensils
You should also use dining utensils in your kitchen which are made up of solid materials like gold, silver, wood and ceramic. These eating utensils are easy to clean so you don’t need to panic when your bird accidentally falls into them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it’s very important to know about the harmful materials for the pet birds so you can keep your little friends at a safe distance from these items.
To ease out cooking processes and to provide a better food for your pets, you should avoid using any material which may be toxic or come in contact with food.
So if you want to keep your pet bird safe from toxic materials then you should keep ceramic, glass, stainless steel and silicone in mind while buying cookware for your kitchen. These are the safest materials to use when cooking for your birds.
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