Is Silicone Safe for Baking?

Silicone can be used in baking. That is a tentative answer. A more accurate answer would be – it depends. To understand what that means, it is important to get familiar with what it is.

Silicone is a synthetic polymer brought into existence by adding carbon and/or oxygen to silicon. It can exist as a solid, liquid, or gel and is often utilized in medical devices like pacemakers, joint replacements, and implants.

It is generally considered safe for these uses and is now used to make silicone bakeware. Silicone, the synthetic polymer, is FDA-approved as a food-safe substance as it is considered generally inert.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of research on silicone bakeware or silicone molds. This means that even though there is no evidence that it is harmful, there is not much evidence that deems it completely safe.

Most of the testing that has been carried out on silicone was done on medical-grade silicone without fillers or additives and at body or room temperature. The results have shown that silicone is safe at these temperatures and long-term follow-up data also support this.

Still, silicone’s safety at high temperatures has not been properly tested which is where the controversy stems from.

Hypothetically though, silicone bakeware is rated for temperatures below freezing and up to almost 450°F, so in theory, it is safe.

Benefits of Using Silicone Bakeware

One of the irrefutable advantages of silicone bakeware is that it is considered more non-stick than many traditional types of bakeware, especially with muffin cups and bread pans.

It is also easier to clean silicone bake mats and other silicone baking products and prevent sticking when baking. They are known to be flexible so it is easy to get things out of them which makes cleanup easier.

Silicone is also dishwasher safe, petroleum free, and is not supposed to fade or scratch.

Conclusion

While the science folk work on updating their research on the safety of silicone, it is okay to use silicone at low temperatures and in the refrigerator or freezer. However, try to avoid using it in baking or under high temperatures, at least until more is known about how high temperatures affect it.