seperate cookware in the kitchen

[deirdre8619]

I'm new to this and am just curious if anyone separates their cookware in the kitchen to make sure they  aren't having any cross contact? I have seen online that restaurants and schools are doing it, and there's some information on these purple cookware sets/handles, and cooking utensils that are purple and easily identifiable...comments??

[rebekahc]

We don't cook with or ever even bring into our home allergens that are likely to cause a reaction from thoroughly washed cookware (for us, that would be nuts, peanuts and shellfish), so no, we don't separate.  I do think it could be a good idea as one component of an entire food safety plan for restaurants and schools or for households where they cook with a family member's allergen.  It seems like special purple sets are just a way for someone to try and capitalize on food allergy, though.  Plus, since teal is the food allergy awareness color, it seems teal would be a better choice.

[spacecanada]

We also don't bring into our home any allergen that could be easily aerosolised and/or stick to cookwares - no nuts, peanuts, or wheat/potato flour.  When my husband cooks anything with wheat or potato (pasta and perogies only, no flours, and it happenns only a few times per year, not daily) he makes sure to clean up everything, scrub the pots, and then put them in the dishwasher for an extra clean. That way, our kitchen remains a safe place. We do not use separate cookware as a result. We also only use stainless steel pans, nothing with a coating. (We have dedicated allergen-free cast iron cookware, mind you.)

If you use separate cookware you may also have to store them separately and clean them separately too, not to mention traces that could be on utensils, counters, cutting boards, etc. I think having better allergen control measures, such as limiting allergens in the house, thorough cleaning routines, and food storage segregation would be more important than separate cookware, as separate cookware alone, without those other measures in place, would offer a level of false security since traces could be introduced elsewhere.