What are the dangers of injesting RUST from a cast iron frying pan?!
Answers: No dangers really, it's an iron and it's actually a boon to your blood system. Don't worry about it.
If it is rusty, it wasn't seasoned correctly. Old timers lived long and without incident and used cast iron to cook with... I'd be more worried about oxidation on aluminum pots...
First: a well-seasoned cast iron pan will not have rust. Second: food cooked in a cast iron pan absorbs someiron, which is how the old folks got their iron supplements.
The only REAL danger of ingesting rust would be a wonderful bacteria we call Staphylococcal which grows in dirt primarily but is often found in rust as well. As long as you've had your Staff immunization then you have no real fear. Even so the heat from cooking with the frying pan should theoretically kill anything living on the pan with the same principal of boiling water to purify it just with solids. So no basically a long winded answer to tell you no REAL worries as long a you've had your booster within the time period and whatever was cooked thoroughly. Hope my answer helps
None at all. In fact, it is a form of iron that is easily absorbed by the human body and people who regularly cook in iron tend to have far less iron deficiency.
Not pretty of course and a hugely rusty pan can alter the taste and is difficult to cook in. If it hasn't gone completely over the bend with rust, just take some oil on a paper towel, coat it well and rub the rust off. If you've been lucky enough to pick up an antique cast iron pan that really needs attention, then scrub it well with a fine steel wool so as not to leave deep scratches on the cooking surface, coat it very well with oil and reseason the pan. (You might need to coat it and season it a couple of times to acquire a good finish again.)
I'm still using the cast iron pan that my Grandma used before 1900 - and she inherited it from her mother.