I’ll Have Pancakes, Eggs and a side of Fruit; Leave the Chemicals Out Please: The Truth About Teflon and Non Stick Pans

It used to drive my husband crazy when he had to make an egg in my stainless steel pan. He was used to the Teflon, non stick pan and claimed his eggs never came out the same. He’s over it now; I never did see the difference, though I knew there was one: when I cooked with my stainless steel pan, I wasn’t introducing dangerous chemical compounds into my family’s home and food.  I first heard of the dangers of Teflon in regards to birds, which made me curious because if using a teflon pan in the same room as birds can kill them (this is a fact, not just some myth you may have heard), then it must contain toxins that can also effect humans.  

So, I did some research. “At 680°F Teflon pans release at least six toxic gases, including two carcinogens, two global pollutants, and MFA, a chemical lethal to humans at low doses” (Environmental Working Group).  Teflon (or any brand of non-stick pans) also contains PFCs, or perfluorinated compounds, which is an endocrine disrupter and a carcinogen.  The makers of teflon are aware of this (surprise, surprise), but they put their own spin on their own findings, claiming that these chemicals are only released when the cookware is grossly overheated. First off, other studies have found that it happens at temperatures much lower than Dupont says, AND I don’t know of anyone who hasn’t burnt a meal at one time or another!  I could go on and on about the dangers, but I’ll let you do some research if what I have said isn’t already enough to make you ditch the non stick pans; you may have to scrub a little harder when washing dishes – think of it as exercise 

Dr. Mercola goes into the details of non-stick here: Non-Stick Cookware Continues to Prove Its Toxicity