Older Nonstick Teflon Cookware Pots and Pans May Not Be Safe

Is nonstick cookware harming your health? The safety issues surrounding the toxic chemicals within older nonstick Teflon pots, pans, and bakeware were brought to my attention around 1980. I had been watching a nightly newscast when a segment came on about the sudden deaths of large numbers of household birds who appeared to be dying without a visible reason. The newscast was a warning to consumers of a toxic chemical found within nonstick cookware products. This airborne poison was killing household birds whenever Teflon was overheated.

The birds were dropping dead in their cages because they were breathing in a toxic gas known as perfluorooctanoic acid. This gas was being released from Teflon-coated cookware whenever the nonstick pots, pans, or bakeware reached a high enough heating point to enable its escape. That night I walked into my kitchen and threw away every nonstick pan in my kitchen cupboards.

The first Teflon products were produced, marketed, and sold by DuPont in 1946. Within 20 years, an awareness of safety issues with the nonstick coating on these pots, pans, and bakeware would emerge. A strange twist in their toxicity is that these products were being touted as a health-conscious choice for consumers because they helped to reduce the amount of fats people used in cooking. In 1990, George Bush presented DuPont with the National Medal of Technology "for the company's pioneering role in the development and commercialization of man-made polymers over the last half century", of which Teflon was listed.

In 2003 The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reported on the toxicity of nonstick cookware pots and pans. The EWG report concluded that a single pan could release as many as 15 toxic chemicals into the air per use (two of these being proven carcinogens).

It is interesting to note that DuPont received heavy fines for covering up data on the toxic health effects of perfluorooctanoic acid that was used in the making of their nonstick cookware as well as other numerous products involved in food consumption; i.e., microwave popcorn bags. Yet despite this, for many years, the company was able to continue using this chemical in their food products.

Perfluoroctanoic Acid (Chemical C): Agencies, individuals, DuPont, and even the U.S. government knew for years that Teflon-coated pots and pans (nonstick cookware as it is more commonly referred to today) contained a chemical that is a cancer-causing agent. Yet these products remained available to consumers for many years after this information became common knowledge.

The scariest chemical found in nonstick cookware is perfluorooctanoic acid. It is also known in the scientific world as "C-8" or chemical 8. This common chemical composition was used to bind the nonstick coating to the pan. The use of this cookware has been linked to cancer and birth defects in humans. The government introduced regulations mandating that this chemical be eliminated from products involved in human consumption of food by the year 2015, but until that time it was still actively being used in the production of nonstick pots, pans, and bakeware.

This chemical affects humans and animals alike and is released into the air when a nonstick cooking pan's Teflon coating breaks down at high temperatures. Since birds are much smaller than humans, they are much more sensitive to airborne toxins and can die on the spot from the ingestion of this toxic substance.

The very air around you and your family would be filled with a toxic cancer-causing chemical simply by you cooking your supper at a relatively high temperature, such as that required to cook French fries. This toxin has been spread so widely in our homes that it is estimated by health agencies that as many as nine out of every 10 people now carry some degree of this chemical within them.

Today's nonstick cookware has been redesigned to remove its earlier chemical composition but if you have older Teflon pots, pans, and bakeware it would be wise to send these off to the recycling centre rather than using them. Stainless steel, cast iron, glass, and copper cookware pots and pans are all safer cookware choices for your home.

It is important to note that there can be safety issues with imported and older cookware Items. Canada and the U.S.A. now have strict production standards in place for all food-related products. Products marketed in these countries are generally deemed safe and acceptable for human use. However, it is important to note that older products did not have to comply with these regulations so you may still have older cookware in your cupboards that do not meet with today's higher health standards.

Products that are brought into the country as personal effects by immigrants from neighbouring countries also may not meet current health standards, so there could still be quite a few glass or steel cooking and serving dishes out there which do not comply with our stricter health standards of today. When choosing your cookware take these exceptions into account. That old glass baking dish of Grandma's might look beautiful, but it could also contain and leach high concentrations of lead into the food that you are feeding your family. 

Cast iron has excellent heat retention and is basically nontoxic. With proper use and treatment, a well-seasoned pan will develop a nonstick surface, and the good news is that cast iron cookware's nonstick ability tends to improve with the age of the pan. Cast Iron cookware does leach iron into food, but this is generally a health benefit rather than a health detriment as our body requires iron on a daily basis. Regularly cooking with cast iron will provide less than 20% of your daily iron needs. The only people who should be affected by this degree of iron intake would be individuals who suffer from iron issues. Those who have iron deficiencies rather than suffering health issues could actually benefit from their use of cast iron cookware.

Whatever your personal preference in cookware just be sure to select the safest pots, pans, and baking dishes for your family. Toss out or recycle any old coated nonstick pots and pans.