Does silicone bakeware release siloxanes into food and air?
Yes. A 2025 study found silicone bakeware released cyclic siloxanes into baked food simulants and indoor air during baking.
What's actually in it
Silicone bakeware is flexible and heat-resistant, but it is not inert. It can contain leftover cyclic siloxanes, including D4 through D16.
Heat helps those compounds move out of the silicone and into food or air. Fatty foods can pull more out because siloxanes move well into oils.
What the research says
A 2025 study in Journal of Hazardous Materials tested 25 silicone bakeware products bought in Canada. Total cyclic siloxanes in the products ranged from 680 to 4300 micrograms per gram.
During 60-minute baking at 177 C, the average sum of D4 through D16 in baked food simulants was 105 micrograms per gram. Indoor air reached 646 micrograms per cubic meter during baking, then dropped quickly after baking ended.
Repeated baking lowered migration and emissions over time, which suggests some siloxanes get depleted. The study also found young children had the highest estimated exposure by body weight.
Use silicone less often for high-heat or fatty foods. For daily baking, use stainless steel, glass, or unbleached parchment on a metal sheet when it fits the recipe.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Silicone bakeware as a source of human exposure to cyclic siloxanes via inhalation and baked food consumption. | J Hazard Mater | 2025 |