‘Impasta’ Pasta: Is your pasta safe?

If you’re a fan of spaghetti, lasagna, mac & cheese, and everyone’s favorite, ramen, then chances are you may have been exposed to harmful chemicals. Didn’t know that, huh? The majority of people don’t. There are different types of pasta made in different ways, and they can have different effects. Being aware of where our food comes from and how it’s made is a great step to having agency in your community.

The mechanization of our food processes has allowed our food to be made more efficiently, but at what cost? Most pasta sold at scale today is cut or “dyed” in two ways: bronze cut and Teflon cut (see where we’re going yet?) Bronze cut signifies that the pasta dye mechanism used with the pasta extruder is made of bronze, while the Teflon one is made of, you guessed it, Teflon. The justification: Teflon-dye pasta makes smoother, shinier noodles than the rougher cuts that the bronze dye creates.

Funny enough, bronze dye pasta soaks sauce better than Teflon cut, but Teflon is cheaper on the shelf. Teflon, as we know, causes harmful health effects to the body, including neurological and cancerous issues. In terms of health impacts, marginalized communities tend to be in locations where Teflon dye pasta would be more readily available and affordable and then subsequently consumed more than the bronze cut. Your local Dollar General, Family Dollar or Walmart tend to be more present in marginalized communities and more than likely to carry Teflon-cut brands like Barilla or Ronzoni. Unfortunately, those stores also tend to be the only options in the area for these communities; therefore, those demographics in those communities are more likely subjected to Teflon exposure via pasta than other communities where they can afford the bronze-dye pasta.

So what to do? First, replace any Teflon-coated pots and pans that you have. Ceramic or steel are great replacements. Second, as feasibility allows, cook with bronze-cut pasta from brands like Taste of Inspirations, Priano, De Cecco or Rustuchella d’Abruzzo. Lastly, spread the word with your family and community to bring awareness to how our food system can be toxic to us if we’re not careful or paying attention. It’s up to the us to empower our health and livelihood, one bowl of spaghetti at a time.