Teflon has literally revolutionized the manufacture of cookware. Even the worst of kitchen disasters cleans up in a jiffy when cooking on Teflon. One would be hard pressed to find any kitchen that did not have at least one Teflon coated piece of cookware. Teflon has become the way of the world.

Like many scientific breakthroughs, Teflon was accidentally discovered over 70 years ago by a scientist employed by DuPont. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asserts that DuPont has purposely withheld health hazardous information regarding Teflon since the early 1980’s. Peflourooanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical used to produce Teflon, has been appearing in blood samples of people world wide. DuPont, slapped with approximately 300 million dollars in fines, has agreed to pay a 108 million dollar lawsuit brought about by residents near one of its company plants as elevated levels of PFOA’s have been found in surrounding drinking water supplies.

According to risk assessments by the EPA, PFOA’s present significant developmental and reproductive risks in humans with the use of Teflon:

An increased rate of birth defects has been found in mothers working at DuPont. The company’s response was to move female employees to other sections of the plant in an effort to reduce their exposure to PFOA’s.

The chemical coating that we have all come to benignly cook on is also used in fire fighting foam and phone cables. 

Variants of FPOA’s are used to make the coating on stain resistant carpets and flame retardants for clothing and computers.

Teflon can also be found in nail polish removers, eyeglasses, and as lining in pizza boxes.

PFOA’s do not break down in the environment anytime soon, causing forever pollution. According to Tim Kropp, a toxicologist with the Environmental Working Group, if all future exposure is cut off, it would take the body at least 20 years to detoxify Teflon chemicals. Finally, the EPA has recommended that PFOA be classified as a human carcinogen.

Be advised that Teflon is the trade name for a line of cookware. Other lines of non stick cookware that use the Teflon coating includes T-Fal, Greblon, Silverstone, Supra, and Excaliber. This is not a comprehensive list. Check before you buy.

Careful as we try to be, it inevitable that our Teflon pots and pans will endure scratches at some point. In fact, many are certain to have an old, bruised, battered, and scratched Teflon pan that has been part of the kitchen arsenal for years and years. Hardly a utensil that should be used for cooking. A utensil that delivers a dangerous toxic load with each meal it helps prepare. Given the fact that Teflon is typically used to cover aluminum pots and pans, we are experiencing yet a double chemical assault as explained below.

The bottom line - Teflon and its associated by-products are dangerous and pose a significant health hazard to all.

Other Cookware:

Aluminum Cookware - Aluminum cookware is not desirable due to the Alzheimer’s and aluminum toxicity connection. If you will notice, your aluminum foil has a dull side and a shiny side. The dull side is a protective coating that separates the aluminum foil from contact with your food. The shiny side is unprotected. Thus, the dull side should always surround food items. Canned goods now have an interior dull wax coating in an effort to keep food and aluminum separated from one another. Chewing gum wrappers are protected with a paper coating preventing contact with gum.

Glass Cookware - Older glass cookware sets come with a lead toxicity problem. However, improvements in manufacturing the past 10 years have eliminated this issue. Newer glass cookware is perfectly acceptable.

Ceramic Coated Cast-Iron Cookware - Ceramic coated cast iron or stoneware has proven benign as well.