• About Us
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Client Portal
  • Contact Us
  • today headline
  • Write for us
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
  • breaking news today
    • Politics news
    • Sports
    • Science News & Society
  • Entertainment News
    • Movie
    • Gaming
  • Technology News
    • Automotive
  • Health News
    • Lifestyle
    • Insurance
  • Finance News
    • Money
  • Enterprise
  • Contact Us
  • breaking news today
    • Politics news
    • Sports
    • Science News & Society
  • Entertainment News
    • Movie
    • Gaming
  • Technology News
    • Automotive
  • Health News
    • Lifestyle
    • Insurance
  • Finance News
    • Money
  • Enterprise
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
TodayHeadline
No Result
View All Result

Are Nonstick Pans Bad For You? – Lifehacker

May 11, 2022
in Health News
Reading Time: 6 mins read
nmprofetimg 1257 - TodayHeadline

Image for article titled Are Nonstick Pans Bad For You?

Photo: Berka7 (Shutterstock)

Nonstick pans are useful kitchen items. Our senior food and beverage editor Claire Lower won’t cook an over-easy egg or a thin pancake without one. But do you need to worry about the coating being bad for your health? Not exactly, but it’s important to know how to handle a nonstick pan properly.

The coating of concern is the one you might know as Teflon (one nonstick brand name). Chemically, it’s polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE. This substance isn’t a health hazard in itself. It’s inert, meaning it won’t react chemically with your body or anything else. But there are a few related chemicals that may be less safe.

What are the health concerns with the chemicals used in nonstick pans?

The chemical that people are usually concerned with when they talk about nonstick pans is PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid. This was used in the manufacturing of Teflon coatings in the early 2000s and earlier, and was fully phased out by 2013. This chemical can cause something called “polymer fume fever” if you breathe in a large amount of said fumes. It’s not easy to get fume fever; case reports include industrial workers and a man who burned off nearly the entire coating of a Teflon pan while taking a nap. Fume fever has flu-like symptoms, but people tend to recover from it within a few hours.

PFOA is part of the group of chemicals known as PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These are known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment. PFAS have been used in all kinds of industrial manufacturing—not just pans—and they’re everywhere, including in our drinking water. Studies have found them in the blood of, to quote the CDC, “nearly all of the people tested.” This is clearly a bad situation, environmentally. (One small bright spot: blood levels noticeably declined after the chemicals were phased out around a decade ago.)

But are we endangering ourselves by using nonstick pans, specifically? Probably not. The American Cancer Society reports that “nonstick cookware is not a significant source of PFOA exposure,” and notes that neither the Environmental Protection Agency nor the World Health Organization has been able to determine whether PFOAs pose a cancer risk to humans.

How to use a nonstick pan safely

The bottom line here is that a chemical that is related to the chemicals used in nonstick pans may be harmful to human health, but so far we’re not aware of any dangers posed by using them in ordinary cooking. That said, it’s a good idea to make sure you don’t overheat your nonstick pan.

While PFOA isn’t used in the manufacture of the pans anymore, it can still be produced when a PTFE coating breaks down, and that can happen if you heat a pan well over its normal cooking temperature. Take a look at the label next time you buy a nonstick pan, and it will probably give a maximum temperature—usually around 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

This means you shouldn’t preheat an empty pan and walk away, and you should take care of your pans and avoid scratching up the coating (which could make it more likely to release chemicals when it’s heated). It’s also a good idea not to cook at high temperatures with a PTFE-coated pan. If you want to sear something over high heat, a cast iron or stainless steel pan is a better choice.

  

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
20230126 01 01 HERO copy - TodayHeadline

Charged EVs | Will Toyota’s new CEO bring the company up to speed on EVs?

Best Teacher Prom Dresses and Suits Recommended by Teachers - TodayHeadline

Best Teacher Prom Dresses and Suits, Recommended by Teachers

BTC Rebounds as Bulls Reject Breakout of Key Support Level - TodayHeadline

BTC Rebounds, as Bulls Reject Breakout of Key Support Level – Market Updates Bitcoin News

Nicola Bulley, 45, was last seen over a week ago walking next to the River Wyre in St Michael's-on-Wyre in Lancashire

When will divers finish search for Nicola Bulley and why was her phone left behind? 10 key questions

PopularStories

20230126 01 01 HERO copy - TodayHeadline
Automotive

Charged EVs | Will Toyota’s new CEO bring the company up to speed on EVs?

Best Teacher Prom Dresses and Suits Recommended by Teachers - TodayHeadline
Education News

Best Teacher Prom Dresses and Suits, Recommended by Teachers

BTC Rebounds as Bulls Reject Breakout of Key Support Level - TodayHeadline
Money

BTC Rebounds, as Bulls Reject Breakout of Key Support Level – Market Updates Bitcoin News

Nicola Bulley, 45, was last seen over a week ago walking next to the River Wyre in St Michael's-on-Wyre in Lancashire
Politics news

When will divers finish search for Nicola Bulley and why was her phone left behind? 10 key questions

About Us

Todayheadline the independent news and topics discovery
A home-grown and independent news and topic aggregation . displays breaking news linking to news websites all around the world.

Follow Us

Latest News

20230126 01 01 HERO copy - TodayHeadline

Charged EVs | Will Toyota’s new CEO bring the company up to speed on EVs?

Best Teacher Prom Dresses and Suits Recommended by Teachers - TodayHeadline

Best Teacher Prom Dresses and Suits, Recommended by Teachers

BTC Rebounds as Bulls Reject Breakout of Key Support Level - TodayHeadline

BTC Rebounds, as Bulls Reject Breakout of Key Support Level – Market Updates Bitcoin News

20230126 01 01 HERO copy - TodayHeadline

Charged EVs | Will Toyota’s new CEO bring the company up to speed on EVs?

Best Teacher Prom Dresses and Suits Recommended by Teachers - TodayHeadline

Best Teacher Prom Dresses and Suits, Recommended by Teachers

BTC Rebounds as Bulls Reject Breakout of Key Support Level - TodayHeadline

BTC Rebounds, as Bulls Reject Breakout of Key Support Level – Market Updates Bitcoin News

  • Real Estate
  • Parenting
  • Cooking
  • NFL Games On TV Today
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Home & Garden
  • Pets
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • About

© 2023 All rights are reserved Today headline

No Result
View All Result
  • Real Estate
  • Parenting
  • Cooking
  • NFL Games On TV Today
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Home & Garden
  • Pets
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • About

© 2023 All rights are reserved Today headline

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.