Sticky Issues with Cookware
American households have been using non stick cookware for nearly 50 years. These ‘teflon’ products were heralded in the early 1960’s as a great scientific advance to save housewives from hours of scrubbing to remove burnt on food from more conventional pots and pans. Americans happily replaced their cast iron and stainless steel cookware with the more convenient non stick products. No one suspected there might be a downside and no testing was done for long term health consequences.
The coating that makes Teflon pans non-stick is polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE for short. When PTFE heats up, it is known to release toxic gases that have been linked to cancer, organ failure, reproductive damage, and other harmful health effects. By early 2006, the evidence was substantial enough for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ask eight American companies, including DuPont, maker of Teflon-brand nonstick cookware, to work towards the elimination of PFOA from their products. Those companies continue to insist that when used in the proper way, there is no danger associated with the use of their cook ware. The debate continues.
Studies have shown that PFOA is present at low levels in the bloodstream of 9 out of 10 Americans, and even in the blood of most newborns. How it gets there, is still unclear. When laboratory animals are exposed to high doses of PFOA it has been shown to cause cancer, low birth weight and a suppressed immune system. There is also strong evidence that PFOA exposure caused birth defects in babies born to mothers working at a Teflon plant in the early 1980s. DuPont was heavily fined for allegedly hiding data for many years on the toxicity of PFOA, but no legal action has yet been taken to bann this chemical.
The exposure to this chemical is undoubtedly worst when the pans are exposed to high temperatures or the surface has become abraded. In 2003 the Environmental Working Group (EWG) reported that nonstick coatings “could reach 700 degrees Fahrenheit in as little as 3-5 minutes, releasing 15 toxic gases and chemicals, including two carcinogens.” The release of toxic fumes from nonstick cookware is known to kill pet birds at much lower temperatures-as low as 464 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the EWG. Whether the use of PFOA in nonstick coatings and other products will be completely phased out over time is unclear, although companies including DuPont, are said to be looking for ’suitable alternatives’. In the meantime, there are suitable alternatives already available and while the evidence may not be all in, I have been phasing out my non-stick cookware and replacing it with cast iron and stainless steel.
Suggestions to Use Nonstick Cookware Safely
* Never leave nonstick pans unattended on an open flame or other heat source
* While cooking, don’t let temperatures get hotter than 450 degrees
* Don’t use metal utensils on nonstick cookware to abrade it’s coating
* Wash nonstick cookware by hand using nonabrasive cleaners and sponges (do not use steel wool)
* Don’t stack nonstick cookware on top of each other.
* Keep pet birds and infants out of the kitchen!
* Stop using your pans if the surface coating is broken.
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