I spend a lot of my life on the road: filming, cooking in rented kitchens, living out of a carry-on. Somewhere along the way I started flipping products over and reading the back. Then I couldn't stop.
I loved my nonstick pan until I looked into its coating. My "healthy" ice cream had three different gums. Even my glass containers had plastic lids touching the food. Nothing to panic about. I just wanted to know exactly what I was buying.
So I started a list. What I tossed, what replaced it, and why. Friends kept asking for it, so here it is. Omit Goods is named for the part that matters most: what's left out.
— Timur
Our standards
Exactly what we omit
If a product fails any line below, it doesn't appear. No exceptions for commission.
PFAS coatings & finishes
Coatings and finishes made with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)
PTFE (Teflon-type nonstick) and PFOA / PFOS. FDA says only negligible amounts of PFAS migrate from PTFE coatings into food, so this is a precaution and a preference: I'd rather cook on cast iron and stainless
Stain-, water- and grease-repellent finishes on textiles and food papers that rely on fluorochemicals
Coatings a brand won't disclose
I only use a "PFAS-free" badge where PFAS actually show up in that kind of product: cookware coatings, food papers, stain-resistant textiles. Water filters say what they're certified to reduce instead
Plastic food contact & materials
Plastic cooking surfaces, liners and containers that touch food or drink. This is a material preference, not a health claim: FDA says current evidence doesn't show that the microplastic levels found in food pose a health risk
Every product gets one plastic label, from strongest to softest. 100% plastic-free: the product and its packaging, per the brand. Plastic-free packaging: for soaps, salt and other consumables, the package has no plastic. No plastic parts: nothing on the product itself is plastic (packaging not counted). Plastic-free food contact: everything food or drink can touch is non-plastic, but another part may not be confirmed. If I can't confirm it, there's no plastic badge at all
If a lid, cap, ring, tub or housing is plastic, the card names the part with a "(noted)" badge, like "Plastic lid (noted)", and the product page explains it
Two honest exceptions. Nearly every PFAS-certified water filter has a plastic housing, and reducing PFAS in my water matters more to me. Nearly every protein and creatine powder comes in a plastic tub or a lined bag. I still list them, and each one is clearly marked so you can decide
These are FDA-permitted food additives. Leaving them out is a preference: I like ingredient lists I can read in one breath
Unnecessary additives
Artificial colors and artificial or "natural" flavors
Emulsifiers, fillers and anti-caking agents that aren't needed
Synthetic fragrance in personal care and cleaning
Artificial sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame K, aspartame) and flavored blends in protein and creatine. Sunflower lecithin is called out if it's on a label
Supplement health claims. I describe what's in the tub and which testing you can look up, not what it does for your body
The process
How a product gets on the site
Research
I start with what I actually use, reader suggestions, and brands people keep asking about. Then I read the brand's own material and ingredient disclosures.
Labels, in full
The whole ingredient list and material spec, not the front of the box. For cookware: coating type, handle, rivets. For storage: lid and seal materials.
Brand disclosures & testing
Claims I can't verify myself are marked "per brand." If a brand publishes third-party lab testing, I link it. I don't run my own lab tests and won't pretend to.
Re-review
Every product has a "last reviewed" date. When a formula or material changes and it stops passing, it comes down.
Affiliate honesty
How this site makes money
Most "Shop at…" and "Also on Amazon" buttons are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a small commission. It costs you nothing extra. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I may also earn through Instacart (for groceries and frozen picks), Walmart, and brands' own affiliate programs, which run on networks such as Impact, CJ, Awin, AvantLink, Skimlinks, Mavely and Shopify Collabs, or directly with the brand.
The main button goes wherever makes the most sense for that product: the brand's own shop, Amazon, Instacart or a specialist retailer. The Amazon button is always a separate link, never mixed with another program. I don't show hand-typed prices for products whose main link is Amazon, because Amazon doesn't allow it.
Commission never decides what gets listed. Some of my favorite picks, like baking soda and the glass food containers, earn close to nothing or nothing at all. Brands can't pay to be included, and they can't pay to have a caveat removed.
I don't sell my own products right now. Everything here links out to the brand or retailer. Omit Goods Kitchen is just where my recipes live. If that ever changes, anything sold directly will be clearly labeled "Sold by Omit Goods," so you'll always know who you're buying from.
Not medical advice. This is editorial research and personal experience. It isn't medical, legal or safety advice. Always check the current label, and talk to a professional about health decisions.
