Risks of Using Non-stick Pans

Non-stick pans: Silent Killers

Cooking is a feast for the senses. The aromatic smells of garlic and onion. The sizzle of the meat hitting the hot pan.The sneaky tasting spoonful of rich, spicy sauce. And when we cook, it is often for the people we love. It provides us with the opportunity to be generous, and generosity feels good, it gives us happiness. Despite of cooking, what you don't can kill you. I know not all people use non-stick pans. It is a miracle of modern chemistry that you encounter whenever you use non-stick cookware.But cooking in non-stick pans is full of Toxic Materials.

What is a non-stick pan?

 Non-stick pans are those made or coated with materials that prevent food in sticking to the surface.

The first non-stick pans were made using a coating of Teflon. Teflon is DuPont's brand name for polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE but most people use the term generically to refer to nonstick pans. PTFE is a thermoplastic polymer. It gains its properties from the aggregate effect of carbon-flourine as do all fluorocarbons.

 How are non-stick pans dangerous to your health?

The cause of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) toxicity is gaseous emission of the material from nonstick cookware. The brand of cookware does not have to be Teflon. Any brand of Teflon-type non-stick cookware can result in intoxication. 

·      It is harmful to humans  

As Teflon pans become hotter, the chemicals released become more toxic. This outgassing can cause "polymer fume flu" and sometimes called "Teflon flu" in humans. The common symptoms of Teflon flu are headache, nausea, fever, headache and malaise. Usually, symptoms subside within a few days, and chances are many people who have experienced mistaken as flu. However, there are also more serious risks. A non-stick pan left empty to preheat can easily reach 700°F (371°C) within a few minutes. At 680°F (360°C), Teflon pans begin releasing tiny particles of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or C-8. It is a carcinogen, liver toxicant, a developmental toxicant, an immune system toxicant, and also exerts hormonal effects including alteration of thyroid hormone levels.

     ·      It is harmful to pet birds

The gas travels rapidly and birds begin to die or become ill in order of their proximity to the gas source. It is as if a bomb exploded and those closest to the blast receive the brunt of the injury, this is the pattern that PTFE displays. The signs observed are acute death or respiratory distress which may be quickly followed by death.

What if you already have non-stick pans?

If you choose to use Teflon pans or other nonstick cookware, cook with low-to-medium heat and do not preheat the pans. Non-stick pans are not recommended if you keep pet birds. An alternate to non-stick pans is cookware with baked enamel or porcelain interiors, which do not stick and cook food wonderfully. I highly recommend stainless steel and cast iron as great alternatives to non-stick cooking surface.

WARNING :  The best course is prevention. To avoid this catastrophe, be careful in choosing cookware.