StarPack · Parchment Paper & Baking Liners
Tongs For Cooking Silicone Tipped Tongs (9")
Lower PFAS concern. Silicone tips on stainless unlikely to have Teflon-family coating.
Stainless steel tongs with silicone tips create lower PFAS risk because silicone itself is not a Teflon-family coating. No known PFAS concerns exist with this material combination.
The safe swap
GreenPan
Williams Sonoma Greenpan Premiere Collection Wide Tongs
90/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
stainless steel with silicone tips
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
Category baseline
PFAS exposure happens more often with clothing products.
No PFAS disclosure
The company has not publicly discussed PFAS in this product.
Silicone tip degradation over time
Silicone is durable but can crack, peel, or discolor after years of heat cycling and mechanical stress. Degraded silicone is not acutely toxic but may shed small particles into food if severely compromised; preventive replacement is the practical safeguard.
Adhesive or coating off-gassing
The bond between silicone tip and stainless steel shaft may use an adhesive or primer. At normal cooking temperatures, off-gassing is unlikely, but direct contact with very high heat (broiler, over-flame exposure) could theoretically cause adhesive volatilization; this is not documented for this product but is a theoretical risk if used outside design intent.
Nickel allergy risk (stainless steel contact)
Stainless steel contains nickel (typically 8-12 percent in grade 304). Individuals with severe nickel allergy may experience localized contact dermatitis during prolonged bare-hand grip. Wearing gloves or silicone handles reduce risk; risk is minimal during typical food contact.
Bacterial or mold growth on silicone
Silicone surfaces, if not dried thoroughly, can retain moisture and support microbial growth. Proper air drying and storage in a ventilated space eliminate this risk in practice.
What’s reassuring
Safe base material
Made from ceramic, mineral, or natural fiber with no PFAS risk.
Metal leaching (stainless steel)
Stainless steel tongs do not leach chromium, nickel, or iron at the pH and temperatures typical of cooking. No published data implicates this material in leaching hazards under normal use.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
StarPack's 9-inch tongs use stainless steel for the shaft and handle, with silicone applied to the tip ends. Stainless steel is chemically inert and does not leach metals into food under normal cooking conditions. Silicone, a synthetic rubber polymer, is non-reactive at typical cooking temperatures (well below its degradation threshold of 300, 500°C) and contains no known bisphenols or phthalates by design.
The brand's record and disclosure
StarPack maintains minimal public safety documentation; the brand does not publish material certifications (FDA compliance statements, BPA-free declarations, or heavy-metal testing) on product pages reviewed. No product recalls or safety complaints specific to this model are on record with the CPSC. The brand's silence on material sourcing and testing does not constitute evidence of problems, but transparency is limited compared to competitors offering third-party certifications.
How it compares in its category
Silicone-tipped stainless steel tongs are a standard, low-risk choice in the cookware accessory market. This product avoids the common hazards of wooden handles (bacterial retention, splinter risk) and nylon-tipped alternatives (potential melting or leaching of unknown plasticizers). Metal-on-metal tongs without silicone tips pose higher risk of cookware surface scratching; silicone coating mitigates this.
If you buy it
Hand wash after use; silicone tips tolerate temperatures up to approximately 260°C (500°F), making them safe for stovetop cooking but not appropriate for broiler direct exposure or sustained oven use above 200°C. Inspect silicone tips annually for cracks, discoloration, or peeling. Replace tongs if silicone separates from the metal, as adhesive breakdown may indicate old-age material degradation. Store in a dry location to prevent mold growth on silicone surfaces.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 82% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- StarPack has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Safer alternatives in Parchment Paper & Baking Liners
GreenPan
Platinum Silicone Tongs
silicone, stainless steel handle
Silicone degradation and leaching
Limited concern
Color dyes or pigments in silicone
Limited concern
Bacterial growth in grip seams or joints
Limited concern
Silicone tongs lower PFAS concern, but verify specific batch claims independently.
⚠Risky category by default
GreenPan
Williams Sonoma Greenpan Premiere Collection Wide Tongs
stainless steel with silicone handle
Silicone handle degradation
Limited concern
Stainless steel tongs with PFAS-free claim; lower concern for non-coated utensil.
⚠Risky category by default
T-fal
Tefal Ingenio K2060714 Steel Food Tongs
stainless steel, bare uncoated
Nickel leaching from stainless steel
Limited concern
Sharp edges or burrs from manufacturing
Limited concern
Bare stainless steel tongs carry no coating-related PFAS risk.
⚠Risky category by default
More parchment paper & baking liners grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.