Metal Utensils have both physical and chemical effects on foods. These relate mainly to the preparation and enjoyment of food; but small amounts of metals can also be transferred from utensils into the food itself. All metals except gold and the platinum group corrode in air to form a layer of oxide on the surface, which is sometimes rubbed off into food. Neither pure metals nor their oxides dissolve in pure water, but acidic foodstuffs can react with them to form compounds, some of which are extremely poisonous.
