Synthetic Non-Stick Pans Are Wreaking Havoc on Our Health and Our Environment. It's Time to Ditch Them for Good!
Non-stick, it turns out, has some serious 'sticking' power. Whilst you might enjoy that slippery surface for a year or two, the synthetic chemicals commonly used in non-stick cookware have lingering and wide-reaching effects in our bodies and our environment.
The introduction of these toxic chemicals into consumer products has been one of the biggest corporate cover-ups of our times. Often referred to as 'forever chemicals', PFAS chemicals resist breakdown in the environment and have been linked to a range of health issues from cancers to miscarriage. Only recently has it received the mainstream media attention it deserves, in part thanks to the Hollywood blockbuster Dark Waters, though scientists have been warning us of the dangers for decades.
There Is No Safe Level of Exposure
It's claimed non-stick pans shouldn't shed PFAS chemicals when used according to manufacturer specifications — including not overheating and no excessive scraping. But these are common occurrences in many kitchens! An accidental scrape should not mean potential exposure to toxic chemicals.
Two particularly nasty chemicals within the PFAS group, PFOA and PFOS, are considered to have no safe level of exposure, with high levels of exposure linked to an elevated risk for a number of diseases. The Madrid Statement, signed by over 200 scientists from 38 countries, linked exposure to PFAS with cancers, delayed puberty, decreased fertility, and reduced immune response in children, among other health problems.
And whilst these chemicals are toxic to humans, they can be deadly to animals. The fumes and particles emitted from synthetic-coated products are estimated to kill hundreds of birds each year — a phenomenon known as "Teflon toxicosis."
PFAS is now found in our water supply and in the bodies of almost all humans in developed countries. It takes three to five years for concentrations of these chemicals to drop by half in the human body.
Out with the Old, In with the New — But Are Replacements Any Safer?
When the evidence became too big to ignore, regulators stepped in. PFOA and PFOS have mostly been phased out of consumer products. But these chemicals have been replaced by a new group with similarly concerning characteristics — referred to as "toxic whack-a-mole". Chemicals are innocent until proven guilty, and can be in use for decades before being revealed as dangerous. Independent scientists continue to express concern about the continued and increasing production of all PFAS compounds.
The Healthy Alternative: Cook on Real Iron or Stainless Steel
The good news? You don't need synthetic coatings to cook non-stick. Solidteknics AUS-ION™ wrought iron and nöni™ non-nickel stainless steel cookware are completely free from PFAS, PTFE, PFOA, coatings, heavy metals, and rivets. Cook healthier, and pass your pans down for generations.
