Are Air Fryers Toxic Or Safe To Use?

Fried food is delicious and mouthwatering; however, there is another voice: air fryers are toxic.

The rumors about the toxicity of air fryers are causing panic.

It is causing concern among users as they become more mindful of what they consume and how they cook it.

But is there any truth to these rumors, or are they just gossip? 

Here is the truth…

No, Air fryers are not toxic, nor do they cause any harm to your health. After reading the expert opinion, consulting research evidence, and experience using air fryers, they are safe to use.

Concerns that air fryers cause cancer or toxicity are nothing more than assumptions of skeptics.

Is The Non-Stick/Teflon Coating On The Air Fryer Accessories Toxic?

If you have seen some of the TikToks, it can explain your concern about an air fryer’s potential toxicity.

The primary concern surrounding the toxicity of air fryers is the use of non-stick materials, also known as “forever chemicals.”

These materials include PFOA, PFOS, PTFE, and BPA. 

Non-scientifically speaking, they are proprietary materials like Teflon.

Some metals release toxic fumes when heated at extreme temperatures.

The same goes for Teflon coating. When overheated (above 570F), Teflon starts to disintegrate, releasing fumes that are damaging to your health and the environment.

This shouldn’t be an issue, as most air fryers don’t go beyond 450f.

Anyways, the non-stick coating only becomes a concern when it peels or flakes away, and the food cooking at high heat gets exposed to the metal underneath.

In short, if your air fryer is in perfect condition and used according to the user manual, you shouldn’t worry about ingesting toxins.

Having said that, if you are overly concerned about Teflon coating or breathing into fumes, use a Teflon-free air fryer such as the Ninja air fryer.

Some of Ninja’s air fryer models, like AF101, have ceramic-coated, non-stick, PFOA and PTFE-free air fryer accessories.

Alternatively, if your air fryer comes with Teflon-coated accessories, you acn buy extra stainless air fryer accessories for cooking.

Does Using Oil In The Air Fryers Make Them Toxic?

Though using oil in an air fryer is harmless, it is important to consider two factors: the smoke point of the oil and its nutritional profile.

Oil Smoke Point

The smoke point is the temperature at which oil starts releasing smoke. Some oils, such as coconut oil, have a low smoke point (below 350F).

Therefore, usually, you cannot use it to cook recipes requiring more than 350 F temperature.

When using an air fryer, use oils with a higher smoke point— those with at least more than 400F of smoke point are recommended.

Avocado oil (above 550F smoke point) and Peanut Oil (450F smoke point) are suitable options.

Nutritional Profile of Oil

The other factor you have to consider is the health profile of the oil.

From a health perspective, avoiding using processed oils containing Trans-fats is a wise option.

Regularly consuming Trans-fats increases the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) and reduces good (HDL) cholesterol levels.

Additionally, it increases your risk of stroke, development of heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

It is worth noting that some oils, even if trans-fat-free, oxidize easily, leading to the formation of free radicals.

Therefore, always use oils that do not oxidize easily to minimize the risk of free radical formation.

Do Air Fryers Cause BPA Toxicity?

BPA (Bisphenol A) toxicity is another concern associated with the use of air fryers.

Because of its detrimental effects on the brain and prostate glands of fetuses, children, and infants, BPA is a toxic material.

Many plastics contain BPA, but air fryers do not cause BPA toxicity.

The accessories that are directly exposed to heat in an air fryer are made of metal instead of plastic.

Does Air Fryer Cause Cancer?

The straightforward answer is:

No, Air fryers don’t cause any type of cancer.

So, what’s all the hue and cry about air fryers causing cancer?

To understand this matter more, we will have to dive a bit deeper.

Air fryers cook food at high temperatures, causing certain chemical changes such as texture change, flavor enhancement, etc.

Some harmful chemicals, such as acrylamides, may also be produced during air frying.

Acrylamides are chemicals belonging to 2A carcinogens.

The primary way to produce acrylamides in foods is the Maillard reaction between asparagine and reducing sugar.

As long as your food contains reducing sugar and asparagine (amino acid), the Millard reaction will occur at high heat, resulting in a certain level of acrylamide formation.

This is to say, even if you cook in something else, in a wok, pan, or oven, the same process will happen.

This leads us to our original response that air fryers don’t cause cancer.

Facts About Acrylamide And Cancer

The fact about acrylamides and cancer came to light after acrylamides caused tumors in rats in multiple laboratory settings.

However, most studies have failed to develop a concrete connection between acrylamide and human cancer.

WHO has also recognized the absence of enough evidence in the area of human studies, pointing to the cause-and-effect relationship between air fryers and cancer.

On the contrary, a 2020 study stated that air frying does not increase acrylamide formation but actually reduces its formation compared to deep frying.

How To Choose A Toxic-Free Air Fryer?

After all the explanations mentioned above, if you are wondering about finding the safest air fryer, below are the criteria for choosing the best non-toxic air fryer 2024.

• Ceramic-coated accessories (baskets, trays, and crisper plates)
• Stainless steel accessories
• BPA, PFOA, and PTFE-free parts

If you get these qualities in your air fryer, you can consider it a toxic-free air fryer.

FAQs

Why do air fryers have a cancer warning?

Air fryers have cancer warnings because cancer is associated with eating food cooked at high temperatures and for a longer duration.

So, if you set your air fryer at a higher than required temperature and cook food for an extended time, it might result in cancer-causing substances.

The warning alerts you about using the right time and temperature settings.

Does cooking food in an air fryer cause obesity?

Obesity can cause Esophageal, Postmenopausal breast cancer, Kidneys, Pancreas, Multiple myeloma, and seven other types of cancers.

Luckily, when you cook food in air fryers, the use of oil reduces significantly as compared to cooking food in a deep fryer.

Often, food only requires light greasing on its surface with an oil spray or brush. Hence, Air-fried foods are much healthier and pose no risk of obesity or cancer. At the same time, it adds no extra calories to your diet.

The results of a study conducted in 2015 corroborate these facts stating that French fries cooked in an air fryer have 75% less oil than fries made in a deep fryer.

Is there a lot of radiation in an air fryer?

Making food in an air fryer does not require any harmful radiation. Neither does an air fryer give off any radiation. It is because the air fryers use hot air for cooking food from all sides using the convection mechanism.

Conclusion

Air fryers are completely non-toxic. There is no concrete evidence linking air fryers with health issues like cancer. The assumption that cooking in an air fryer is dangerous is based on two postulations. One, the air fryers increase acrylamide formation, and two, the Teflon coating releases dangerous fumes.

The above article clarifies all these concerns. To be safe, use a trans-fat-free, healthy oil with a high smoke point. Also, ensure that the accessories are not Teflon coated and PFOA and PTFE free.