What are plastic 鈥渙ven bags鈥� made of? What is the safe temperature range for cooking food in these bags? Do they emit any by-products at normal cooking temperatures?
鈥� Oven bags are made of high-melting-point plastics that resist scorching, are strong enough to use as very thin film, and do not need any plasticiser. Polyesters are commonest. If you buy a bag of food ready to cook, the recipe will specify the temperature. If you buy empty bags, the label should tell you. Typically they should be safe for a reasonable period at about 150 掳C.
Because they contain no volatile plasticisers, these bags do not emit significant amounts of chemicals before they begin to scorch, and because they are thin, they are not likely to scorch while they are wet on the inside. And the products of scorching are likely to be no more harmful than scorched paper or toast. Polyesters are tough, heat-resistant substances, but chemically rather bland.
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鈥淥ven bags are not likely to scorch while they are wet on the inside, and the products of scorching are likely to be no more harmful than scorched paper or toast鈥�
Jon Richfield, Somerset West, South Africa