Teflon is the DuPont brand name of a chemical called Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) , most famous for making non-stick frying pans. Invented by DuPont in the 1930’s, the Teflon Frying Pan became one of the miracle products of the post war years and has since become a symbol of kitchen convenience, liberating us from the chore of scrubbing burnt food off the bottom of frying pans.
However, it looks as though the days of Teflon are numbered (at least in cooking equipment) as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants its use phased out. The problem being, a chemical used in the manufacture of Teflon called perfluorooctanoic acid, or ‘PFOA’.
What is PFOA?
PFOA is used to make Fluoropolymers that, in turn are used to make Teflon. Fluoropolymers are also used to make a large variety of other products, such as stain resistant carpets, textiles, carpet cleaning liquids, microwave popcorn bags and (in the USA) they have also been detected in water, food and household dust. PFOA’s (in laboratory animals) have been proven to cause cancer, immune system damage, liver damage, growth defects and death. While it has not yet been proven to cause disease in humans, an EPA advisory board of 17 scientists unanimously recommended it be labeled it a ‘likely carcinogen’ (a carcinogen is a substance capable of causing cancer in humans). The PFOA compound can be found, at very low levels in the blood of just about everyone, and can take 10 years to be eliminated from the body, if there's no new exposure.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire
Dupont was sued in a class action law suit in 2004 by a group of 50000 residents near its West Virginia plant, who claimed it was causing birth defects and other health issues. PFOA concentrations were detected in the local water supply and DuPont settled for 300 million, without admitting liability. Despite being aware of the dangers, DuPont kept using PFOA, and a year later the EPA fined Dupont over 16 million, saying that Dupont had known the dangers for over two decades without advising consumers.
Can’t stand the heat? Then get out of my kitchen
PFOA’s have been detected in frying pans, although DuPont states this should not happen if the pans have been properly cured. They also form as the pans are heated beyond their normal cooking temperature. Teflon begins to deteriorate at 260 degrees, and decomposes at 350 degrees. The gasses given off can be lethal to birds and can even give humans flu like symptoms. Sound safe? I purchased one recently from a bulk retailer, and there were no warnings of any kind. In my opinion (and take a look at my short video to see why) I do not recommend using non-stick cookware, in fact, I have replaced all of my frying pans with cast iron ones. There is no real way for the consumer to know what temperature the pan, or the pan’s edges are reaching during use, however, when you cook with oil, the oils have a ‘smoke point’ which will give some indication, but beyond that, you need a special digital thermometer (like the one in my video). You will find frying pans made with Teflon (PTFE) or similar, (marketed under a wide variety of brand names) in the cookware section of almost every major store. However, there may be some new types of non-stick cookware being developed that use different materials altogether but, until then, its cast iron frying pans for me!
5 Tips for safer cooking
If you do continue to use your non-stick cookware, then please consider the following tips for safer cooking:
• Scratched pans where the coating has deteriorated should also be ditched. Aside from potentially releasing toxic compounds, the flakes can also end up in your food and ironically, you could end up eating your own frying pan!
• Never heat up your Frying Pan while it is empty, the temperature can quickly reach in excess of 260 degrees, the temperature it takes for Teflon to start to deteriorate. The temperature is much cooler when cooking food If you don’t have a digital thermometer, try using oil with a known smoke point as a temperature indicator.
• Some roasting dishes are also non-stick and are much easier to regulate the temperature when roasting food at 180 degrees (for instance).
• Always cook in a well-ventilated kitchen to minimize the Teflon fumes and keep any pet birds out of the kitchen when cooking with Teflon.
We encounter many environmental toxins in our normal, day to day lives. While there are some that are clearly more dangerous than others, it is in my opinion that being exposed to a combination of a number of these is making us more susceptible to diseases, especially cancer. That’s why I believe it is important to at least try to avoid as many as possible, especially when it is as simple as ditching the non-stick cookware.
