- AHAM member cooking products, including gas ranges and cooktops, meet or exceed current safety standards and building code requirements.
- Gas cooking is an affordable and preferred technology used in 40 percent of U.S. homes and 15 percent of Canadian homes.
- Effective ventilation is key to enhancing indoor air quality regardless of the cooking method.
- Warning labels that target gas cooking’s impact on indoor air quality are misleading and unnecessary.
Gas cooking is a safe and affordable cooking method used in approximately about 50 million U.S. households and 2.2 million Canadian households. Many home and professional chefs value gas cooking for its speed and control. Consumers in the U.S. are fortunate to have a variety of cooking options available which meet or exceed approved safety standards and building codes.
Several states have attempted to require warning labels on gas cooking appliances regarding the appliances’ impact on indoor air quality. These efforts are misleading, unfairly target gas cooking, and misinform consumers about the need to use proper ventilation while cooking.
All cooking—whether using gas, electric or induction or electric cooking products—emits pollutants like smoke and grease, and indoor air quality issues associated with cooking can be effectively addressed through ventilation. As homes have become more tightly constructed, the need for improved ventilation has grown. That’s why building codes have long required mechanical ventilation and external cooking exhaust in newly constructed homes. This is just one of many solutions that can improve indoor air quality while cooking.
Other solutions are already being developed. AHAM has worked closely with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and health officials to improve safety standards in response to questions regarding gas cooking’s effect on indoor air quality. AHAM is also contributing to the development of standards to improve range hood capture efficiency and to improve cooking appliance testing related to certain pollutants. Any improvements in safety standards will be incorporated into future building code updates. Building code compliance is mandatory, not voluntary. It is critical that all revisions to standards and building codes be based on sound science and thorough research and testing.
The home appliance industry designs products that are as safe as they are useful. AHAM is committed to providing solutions to enhance indoor air quality while preserving choice and innovation in cooking appliances.
