Contribution to chromium and nickel enrichment during cooking of foods in stainless steel utensils.

Nickel ingestion can cause exacerbation of dermatitis in patients who are already nickel-sensitive; Chromium (Cr VI) is the 2nd allergen, after nickel. However, stainless steel is widely used in home cookware. In this study, we determined nickel and chromium levels by atomic absorption spectrometry in 11 habitual menus cooked in different grades of stainless steel utensils.