Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Dangers Posed By Open-Flame Cooking: The Case Of Chiapas, Mexico., Holly Renee Zoeller

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Open-flame cooking, the central cooking approach used by some three billion individuals across the globe, primarily in developing countries, poses serious health and environmental risks. While some countries have begun to transition to cleaner stoves, this effort has confronted widespread resistance. People who have been using this ancient cooking method and whose culinary traditions rely on this cooking approach have remained recalcitrant in their efforts to continue cooking the traditional way. This study focuses on Chiapas, the southernmost and the poorest state in Mexico, which skirts the Guatemalan border. This study provides ample evidence of the health risks associated with …