Cooking sprays have become widely used by home cooks as a healthy alternative to regular cooking oils, but it could be causing more harm than good.

While you may think it’s doing you a favour, spray oils actually contain an ingredient which can damage air fryers.

With air fryers continuing to make cooking easier, adding a bit of cooking spray may not seem harmful.

However, they contain a specific ingredient - especially if you’re buying them from supermarkets - which breaks down the air fryer itself.

The reason you should avoid commercial cooking sprays is all down to the chemicals added in.

Sam Milner, an air fryer chef and expert, told Homes & Gardens that many spray oils contain an emulsifier called lecithin.

Lecithin helps bind ingredients together that usually don’t mix and is typically used as an additive to a number of food products to help improve texture.

However, while it may be beneficial for foods, it has an adverse effect on air fryers.

Sam explained: “Chemicals added to commercial spray oils cause damage to your air fryer, since they contain an emulsifier called lecithin, which slowly breaks down the coating on your air fryer.”

In fact, these types of cooking sprays should be avoided in all non-stick products.

As the emulsifier breaks down the air fryer’s coating, it could run the risk of releasing toxic chemicals into your food.

Martin Bucknavage, an expert in food safety in the Penn State Department of Food Science, told The Spruce Eats that the lecithin in cooking sprays have a low smoke point and are “less stable” than those with a high smoke point.

Oils and cooking sprays with low smoke points will deteriorate at temperatures used in air fryers.

He said: “This can gunk up your equipment, specifically the tray or basket and potentially ruin the surface.”

Martin also pointed out that cooking sprays could have an impact on the taste and appearance of food in the air fryer.

He said: “The spray oils can cause discolouration and produce a slightly off flavor. If you have ever sprayed Pam onto a hot pan, you see how dark the colour gets.”

Although it may seem healthier opting for a cooking spray to cook food in the air fryer, you can still get the desired results without putting your appliance at risk.

Instead opt for oils like avocado, canola, peanut, sesame, or sunflower.

Either lightly coat the air fryer basket with a non-aerosol spray bottle, a silicone brush, or with a piece of kitchen roll.