Is Wax Paper Toxic?

Many of us use wax paper to wrap our foods for our on-the-run lunch or line up our items while they wait to get in the oven. But at some point, all of us must have asked ourselves this question- Is wax paper toxic? You probably didn’t have got an answer to this question; that’s why you’re here.

Is wax paper toxic? Wax paper is made from the coating of wax. In most cases, there are two different types of wax coating. The first one is paraffin, which is colorless or white made from petroleum byproducts. The second one is organic wax or food-grade wax. Thus, it’s non-toxic.

 

Make wax paper the secret weapon of your kitchen by using it in a lot of different ways like:

• Protect your cheese from unhealthy bacteria and let it breathe by wrapping it in wax paper.
• Cover your refrigerator linings and make cleaning easy.
• You can cover your ice cream leftovers with wax paper.

Some of you might have eaten some wax paper by mistake and must have wondered what if I die? There’s nothing to worry about as you will not die by eating a small portion of wax paper as it is not toxic. So if you have eaten a little wax paper accidentally, there is nothing to worry about.

However, you can face serious problems if you eat a large portion of wax paper. Therefore, it is advised to consult your doctor about this matter.

Wax paper is not toxic, especially organic, only when you accidentally consume a small portion. No one in their right would consume a large portion of wax paper consciously. However, if someone does that, they can face some problems, so consult a doctor before it gets late.    

What happens when the wax paper is burnt? Does it become more toxic? No, after burning wax paper, it doesn’t become toxic since it’s not toxic in real. It might produce smoke that can make it harder to breathe, but it is not toxic smoke.

However, you should avoid using wax papers for items you are putting inside the oven as the wax paper is not suitable for baking purposes. It is not made to survive in extremely hot temperatures. The baking paper should be used for baking purposes, not wax paper.

Wax tends to melt at high temperatures, so when you use wax paper to wrap hot foods, it can get melted and mixed with your food items. As a result, you might eat it without noticing, and it can cause indigestion problems.

Wax paper should only be used to wrap cold food items so that it will not melt and perform its job perfectly.

Now that we have made clear that wax paper is not toxic let’s tell you the benefits of using it.

• Wax paper makes an excellent display tray. It helps dry food items like Danish pastries easily stick to the surface.
• Retain the moisture of your delicious food items by using wax paper as wrapping paper.
• Say hello to this budget-friendly item in your kitchen, as its cost is comparatively lower than parchment paper.

Tip: Wax paper works best only in case of cold or frozen foods like cake, pastries, etc. It will help in retaining their moisture, keeping them soft and delicious.

• The drawback of using wax paper is that it should never wrap hot foods or be put in an oven. This is because wax tends to melt in hot temperatures.
• When wax paper comes in contact with hot foods, it can either get mixed or stuck on them and cause indigestion for the person who consumed it.

The best way to store your wax paper is in a cupboard at room temperature. Wax paper can also be put in the fridge though it can get frozen. If you want to wrap food items in the freezer, you should use freezer paper instead of wax paper as it comes with plastic on one side.

If you put a food item wrapped in wax paper in the fridge for, let’s say, 1 month, you might experience freezer burn. However, when you use freezer paper for the same duration, there will be no such experience.

The conclusion arises that wax paper is not toxic, especially organic wax paper. Therefore, even if you consume a small portion of wax paper by mistake, there will be no serious harm. However, consult your doctor if you consume a large portion.

If this article helped you clear your doubts, please tell us in the comments. Also, share it with your friends too so that they can also get help.