Eco-Bad Cookware
Teflon Coated Pan
Nonstick cookware has been a staple in home kitchens for more than 35 years. Frying eggs has never been easier. What a majority of those home chefs don’t realize is the dangerous gasses and chemicals that come with those eggs.
There are at least two problem chemicals regarding Teflon coated pans. First is the Teflon itself. Made with polytetrafluoroethylene – or PTFE, the coating can release toxic chemicals.
The second issue is the chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid – or PFOA, that is used to stick the Teflon to the pan. Yes, that’s right. There is a toxic chemical that adheres the toxic chemical to the pots and pans in which you cook your food that you then serve to your family.
These chemicals and the gasses they create when heated are known to cause, among other things, cancer and low birth weights. Even the jump in cholesterol issues in humans has been blamed on Teflon pans. Women who worked at the plant making nonstick cookware have accused the exposure to these chemicals of causing birth defects.
If that isn’t reason enough to stop buying this cookware, consider that one tiny scratch makes the pan doubly unsafe and ready for the landfill.
While DuPont claims that the cookware is safe when used as directed — no high temperatures such as stir-fry or grill top cooking, the company was fined $10.25 million in 2005 for allegedly hiding vital safety data concerning its chemicals AND for contaminating the river near the plant. In my eyes, the company can’t be trusted to tell the truth about their product.
And why take chances? The stuff is eco-bad on so many levels.
EcoCook pans by Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart has a new line of nonstick cookware out called EcoCook. Instead of using PTFE as the nonstick agent, Martha’s line uses a ceramic process of some sort. Hey, I’m a writer not a scientist, okay 
So confident in the product, Martha Stewart offers a lifetime warranty. Not bad.
Other options are good old-fashioned cast-iron pans such as LeCreuset‘s enameled coated cookware, American made Lodge Logic, or keep an eye out for vintage Griswold pans at antique malls and flea markets. Cast-iron lasts for generations of cooks, which of course reduces unnecessary waste.
Stainless steel, too, is a healthier option. You may have to relearn cooking with these sticky options, but isn’t your health worth it?
While I would not try to refute the statements on PTFE or PFOA, most of the current non stick products being sold today use neither of these chemicals in thier manufacturing processes.
However, there are several alternatives for your non stick applications:
Scan pan, Green pan, Swiss Diamond all have safe alternatives to Teflon. Also, the Fissler stainless steel with the Novogrill is nearly non stick.
Do not choose you quality cookware based upon fear but upon features and benefits that best fit your cooking needs
Although I may not be the best with words, it seems that it is getting to a point now that we will need a college degree just to buy stuff for our homes. Pretty soon we will be seeing reports on how the glaze on our dishes is bad for us, there probably already is one.
If we were to truly get to an Eco-friendly state then we would have to move to the middle of nowhere and live like the cave man did, but then we would have a different set of problems.
I can say that I did learn something new about Teflon, and I will keep it in mind the next time I need to buy pots and pans.
Being educated about Teflon is a smart move. There are documented problems with the older version of this coating when heated above 500 degrees. But there is a lot of rumor regarding the new products used for non stick. They do not use similar chemicals of the older product. Most have been rigorously tested for dangerous residue or escaping fumes. Also, there are several non stick products recently released that have no relation to the old Teflon. So it is probably just as important to be educated about the new products to the same extent.
I would not suggest that there are no problems with the older Teflon when heated over 500 degrees. I would also acknowledge that even though the instructions that come with the products warns against using the products at high heat that people will always follow these recommendations. So caution in the use of Teflon is a good idea.
Just don’t let the issues of one product spill over to all of the others is all that I am suggesting.
All the best with your cookware decisions and probably more important with the results they produce.