1. Harmful Substances
You can make your food hot and cooked in the oven. But when the food burns, harmful substances are released – especially PAK’s: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This substance spreads through the air.
Also the fabric acrylamide is released when you heat your food. This substance can be released when heated above 120 degrees.
These harmful substances are released from caked-on food residues when you reheat the oven. This can end up in the food through direct contact or as particulate matter.
2. Bacteria and fungi
In a dirty oven, mold can form spores that spread further. If you open the oven, those spores can end up in other places in the kitchen through the air. Additional downside: molds can withstand heat well. So make sure that the oven is clean when you use it.
Reducing health risks
Fortunately, the risks are still not too bad, but it is better to be exposed as little as possible to all harmful substances from your oven. A clean oven contributes to a hygienic kitchen – so you have as little chance as possible of ingesting nasty dust and mold.
If your oven is full of food residues and caked-on pieces, you will have to clean the oven anyway. Read here how to do that!
Tip: to keep the oven cleaner, it is often best to put baking paper in it or put the food in large oven dishes.
