Are there any health risks from cooking with non-stick pans?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “dangers of non stick cookware“
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Are there any health risks from cooking with non-stick pans?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “dangers of non stick cookware“
About admin1993
We have had a number of interesting news stories about non-stick cookware on our Housewares website which you might find interesting.
It has been claimed that it somehow raises cholesterol http://www.housewareslive.net/news/news.asp?id=6535
Non-stick was also linked to Thyroid disease accourding to an article in The Times but The Cookware Manufacturers Association claimed the article was misleading and had ‘got the facts wrong’ http://www.housewareslive.net/news/news.asp?id=6107
It is worth noting that Non-stick coatings have been, and continue to be, approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration, the European Food Safety Authority and other regulatory agencies worldwide. I personally think there has been a lot of scaremongering by the press, damaging the reputation of the products unfairly. Our news editor Jane wrote a blog saying ‘accusations will stick to non-stick’ a year ago (http://www.housewareslive.net/blog/view_entry.asp?id=10) and it looks like she was right with questions like this still being asked!
Interestingly the winner of the nobel prize for physics has recently designed a replacement for Teflon, don’t think it is on the market yet though:
http://www.housewareslive.net/news/news.asp?id=6697
Calphalon 10-Piece Pots and Pans Set, Nonstick Kitchen Cookware
It’s highly likely during the lifetime of a pan coated with Polytetrafluoroethylene (aka PTFE aka Teflon) that the polymer will transfer into your food.
I have not studied this thoroughly and cannot comment on the safety of PTFE as a non-stick polymer. However, the concept of eating polymer is extremely unappealing to me.
Therefore, I use non-PTFE coated pans. If you require a non-stick pan there are many companies marketing PTFE Free non-stick cookware. I’ll leave it to another thread to make suggestions on specific cookware.
If you do use a non-stick pan coated with PTFE it’s probably just fine so long as you take a few precautions. I would recommend only using soft utensils (preferably made out of wood) when preparing your food to minimize accelerating deterioration of the coating applied to the pan. Specifically avoid using metal on metal which can cause noticeable gashes which is almost certainly evidence of you eating Teflon.
Teflon was chosen as a non-stick adhesive for a number of reasons including, presumably, safety since it is a non-reactive substance. Besides avoiding damaging the coating the other thing to remember is when you are using Teflon pans you should avoid heating them above 500 degrees. At high heat the coating begins to deteriorate and you may be subjecting yourself to a rare condition called “polymer fume fever”. Also, if your pan starts to show signs that the coating is damaged you might want to err on the safer side and just go ahead and replace it.
Happy cooking!
10 Pcs Non Stick Cooking Set w/ Frying Pans & Saucepans
If you overheat a Teflon pan the coating can be infused into whatever food you cooking. It also creates a very unhealthy (to your lungs) smoke if it gets extremely hot.
If you are using metal implements, such as spatulas, spoons, or flippers, in a Teflon pan you can easily scratch it. Then you have a situation where the coating can flake off into your food, which is unhealthy.
I use Teflon pans and have for years. If one gets scratched, I throw it out and replace it. I am careful not to overheat pans and immediately remove them from the heat to allow for cooling if I think they are getting close to that point.
I think if you are careful you can use Teflon pans safely. I would prefer cast iron but they are just too heavy for me to handle safely.
BELLA 21 Piece Cook Bake and Store Set
While there isn’t much proof that eating the particles have ill effects, even cookware coating manufacturers admit that they are ingested. If you see scrapes on your pan, there is a good chance you are consuming some. I avoid non-stick cookware. I haven’t found there are many situations where I NEED to use non-stick.
Dupont, creators of teflon, say this: “:In rare instances, a person may accidentally ingest a flake of nonstick coating from an aged pan. The coating flake is non-toxic and would pass through the body without being absorbed. Based on the inert characteristics of the coating, data indicate that there are no health effects from the incidental ingestion of pieces of nonstick coating.”http://www2.dupont.com/Teflon/en_US/products/safety/cookware_safety.html
They didn’t reference any studies they funded where they fed flakes of teflon to rats, but this is likely as far as they’ve gone to tell us it will pass through us with no health effects.
Cooking with them outside of their temperature range releases volatile organic compounds, the same stuff you smell when burning plastic. Many are dangerous to our health. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compound
Non-Stick Cookware Set, Pots and Pans – 8-Piece Set
As far as the food safety people in every country in the world are concerned, cooking in non-stick pans is perfectly safe.
What is not safe is heating the cookware so hot — beyond any useful cooking temperature — that the non-stick coating starts smoking. That has proven to be toxic to birds, but just really unpleasant for humans.
T-fal Ultimate Hard Anodized Nonstick 17 Piece Cookware Set
All coatings are a foreign substance placed (sprayed, painted, etc) on the surface of the cookware. As a wise man said to me once- even a Ferrari’s paint job will eventually peel off. Yes, there are some coatings made from natural ingredients in clean manufacturing procedures but a coating is still a coating. All known brands have probably tested the coated cookware under some cooking circumstances (it is better to buy coated cookware from a brand you trust) to see that they are not toxic, but even those are not supposed to be eaten so you should be careful to replace them once they are damaged in any way (scratches, peeling, etc), just in case.
Gotham Steel Pots and Pans Set 12 Piece Cookware Set with Ultra Nonstick
coated with a synthetic polymer called polytetrafluoroetheylene (PTFE) also called taflon these are to dangerous to health This chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
To avoid fumes from nonstick cookware, don’t overheat when using them for stovetop cooking, make sure your kitchen is well-ventilated, and don’t keep your pet bird near the stove.
T-fal, Dishwasher Safe Cookware Set, 18 Piece, Red
We really don’t know how bad non-stick pans are, but they may be linked to a number of issues. It’s really easy to use other types of stainless steel pans or other alternatives where this potential risk does not exist.
Peer-reviewed research suggests that certain nonstick chemicals can contribute to cancer, birth defects, flulike symptoms, elevated cholesterol, abnormal thyroid hormone levels, liver inflammation, weakened immunity, and other health problems. [3]
PFOA is a chemical used to make the Teflon in non-stick pans, which may cause a variety of problems.
PFOA has come under scrutiny by the EPA because the chemical has shown up in samples of people’s blood. This concerns the EPA because PFOA lasts a long time in both people and the surrounding environment.[4]
This chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), has been linked to cancer in laboratory animals, and possibly linked to elevated cholesterol, thyroid disease, and reduced fertility in people.[4]
Some of the same nonstick chemicals added to popcorn bags also hide out in many nonstick pots and pans. A recent study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found women with higher levels of hormone-disrupting perfluorinated compounds like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in their blood were more likely to have the autoimmune disease osteoarthritis.[2]
PFOA has been shown to cause cancer, low birth weight and a suppressed immune system in laboratory animals exposed to high doses of PFOA. Studies have shown the chemical to be present at low levels in the bloodstream of 9 out of 10 Americans, and in the blood of most newborns. And although the effects of PFOA at lower doses in humans are disputed, there does seem to be a link between PFOA and raised levels of cholesterol.[6][7]
It’s worth noting that people also get exposure to PFOA in other ways.
PFOA has been used in other products besides Teflon, including waterproof clothing or fabric protectors, fire-resistant casings and tubing, and sealing tapes. PFOA may have ended up in the environment through many different avenues, researchers say.[4]
Some tests suggest non-stick pans may release gases that are problematic when heated.
In two to five minutes on a conventional stovetop, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces can exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases linked to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pet bird deaths and an unknown number of human illnesses each year, according to tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG).
These new tests show that cookware exceeds these temperatures and turns toxic through the common act of preheating a pan, on a burner set on high.
In cases of “Teflon toxicosis,” as the bird poisonings are called, the lungs of exposed birds hemorrhage and fill with fluid, leading to suffocation. DuPont acknowledges that the fumes can also sicken people, a condition called “polymer fume fever.” [1]
fumes released when you overheat nonstick cookware can make you feel sick.[4]
Also, at very high temperatures (537ºC), the coating on non-stick cookware breaks down into a chemical warfare agent known as perfluoroisobutene (PFIB).
Studies by Teflon manufacturer DuPont have found that 6 toxic gases are released at 360ºC (including two carcinogens, two global pollutants, and a chemical called MFA, which is deadly to humans at low doses). DuPont claims that “significant decomposition of the coating will occur only when temperatures exceed about 340ºC. These temperatures alone are well above the normal cooking range.” However, tests conducted by a university food safety professor have found that a generic non-stick pan on an electric stovetop reaches 391ºC in 3 minutes and 20 seconds. In the same study, a Teflon pan reached 383ºC in 5 minutes. [5]
Cook’s Illustrated magazine (link is subscription only) reported on tests of nonstick skillets in its May/June 2005 issue, and found that such extreme temperatures could even be reached by cooking some foods on high heat (such as stir-fries). [6]
Exposure to TFE, the chemical that can be released in fumes if you cook with non-stick cookware at high temperatures, may increase cancer risk. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP) classify TFE as a possible cause of cancer.[8]
Aluminum in non-stick pans is a potential issue.
A normal intake of aluminum is roughly 3 to 5 milligrams per day, but Americans may ingest up to 10 milligrams per day on average. Cooking and storing acidic foods in aluminum pots and pans is likely to release higher amounts of aluminum into the food. Research suggests that using aluminum and other types of nonstick cookware products can increase risks of cancer, respiratory problems, and other serious health problems in adults and children, including a possible link to Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly.[3]
[1] Canaries in the Kitchen
[2] 11 Things that Destroy Your Immune System
[3] How Safe Is Your Cookware?
[4] Teflon and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
[5] Dangers of Non-Stick Cookware
[6] How Safe are Nonstick Coatings for Cooking?
[7] Teflon chemical linked to increased cholesterol levels
[8] Non-stick cookware
T-fal Ultimate Hard Anodized Nonstick 17 Piece Cookware Set