Is Silicone Inherently Antibacterial?
Does anyone know if silicone touted as antibacterial and antimicrobial is that way because it is naturally a deterrent or if it is treated with a chemical? And if treated with a chemical to be antibacterial, is it inert in silicone in the final product?
Formaldehyde Emissions from Silicone
A reader posted a comment: ”At 392 degrees F silicone mats release trace amounts of formaldehyde. Higher the heat, higher the amounts of formaldehyde.” Though I continually am searching for scientific data on the health effects of silicone, this was news to me. But having the clue that silicone releases formaldehyde, I was able to find information on this.
Silicone Baking Mats Vs. Parchment Paper
Cooking parchment also called parchment paper, kitchen parchment, greaseproof paper and cooking paper is a sheet of paper impregnated with silicone, which makes the paper grease- and moisture-resistant as well as relatively heat-resistant. It is commonly used to eliminate the need to grease baking pans--allowing, for example, repeated batches of cookies to be baked without regreasing the pans--and it can also be folded to make moisture-proof packages in which foods can cooked or steamed.