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Subscribe!Is Teflon Safe?
Don't worry - it won't hurt you
This entire article was largely prompted by a sensationalist piece that I read on the internet, telling everyone how bad Teflon is and about all of the health risks it allegedly poses.
A bit of history
Ok, Teflon is actually just a trade name, from Dupont the chemical company that owns the formula. What we are really talking about is:
Poly-Tetra-Flouro-Ethylene (PTFE)
It is quite simply the slipperiest substance known to man.
Like so many things, it was invented by accident. In this case by a chemist called Ray Plunkett, who was trying to do something completely different and ended up with the polymer PTFE in 1938.
Sine then it has been used for all sorts of things, including electronics, aeronautics, clothing, industrial machinery, on the space shuttle, in atomic bombs, and of course for non-stick cookware.
So, is it safe?
The fact is that Teflon is not only the slipperiest thing know to man, but also one of the most inert substances that we’ve come up with. In a stable state it is completely non-toxic, any possible problems only arise when you heat it to temperatures over 260°c.
At these temperatures, Teflon starts to break down, and this can lead to the release of some potentially dangerous chemical fumes. These fumes are toxic to birds, and could induce some flu like symptoms in humans. Most people don’t get their cookware anywhere near 260°c at home, so this isn’t going to be a huge problem.
If you do need to cook at very high temperatures, then there is really no need to use non-stick pans, as any metal pan becomes naturally non-stick when it reaches high enough temperatures anyway.
Is Teflon a carcinogen?
There have also been some concerns about whether or not Teflon contributes to cancer.
The reality is that PTFE itself is not a carcinogen, but that one of the chemical compounds that is used during its manufacture, called POFA, may be.
This is really only worth even thinking about if you work in a factory making Teflon, not if you are using it to cook with. Statistics show that you are more likely to find traces of POFA in your carpet than you are in your frying pan.
Entries (RSS)
April 28th, 2009 at 2:05 am
John РGlad to see the very accurate information you have posted on your blog about Teflon. I’m actually a representative of DuPont, and am always glad to see comments like this out there about Teflon, considering how much inaccurate information there is. Teflon should not be overheated and there should always be food in the pan when heating it. It is also a good idea to keep birds out of the kitchen, as they have very sensitive respiratory systems. Thanks for sharing this information.
I‚Äôd be glad to share some recipe booklets or other information for you’re blog if you are interested. Let me know. Cheers, Ross.
April 30th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Thanks Ross,
I have a couple of questions about Teflon that you might be able to help me with, I’ll get in touch with you.
John
June 14th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Thanks for the great cooking information .
September 24th, 2009 at 5:39 am
I am so glad to have read this article. I went to a seminar last night and there they explained the DANGERS of having teflon pans. I am now glad to see that it is well safe and I will continue to use my non-stick pans. Thanks!
September 26th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Hi Xochilt – I’m really glad that you found the information useful.
I hate scare mongering when there is really no reason. The simple fact is that in domestic usage Teflon pans are perfectly safe.
They might conceivably be bad for any pet birds if you overheat them, but then why on earth would you have birds in your kitchen?
March 29th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Hello John,
Matt here from Rice Cooker Guide.
I am in the process of getting some feedback about the safety concerns on Teflon since most rice cookers use this substance for the non stick bowls. In doing so, I have stumbled across your post.
I have found the read to be helpful, and will link to this page from my site as a result. Thanks for the information and for putting it in to an honest perspective!
Regards,
-Matt
September 9th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
So a George Foreman grill heats up to a little over 400 degrees. Based off of your information I shouldn’t cook food on one. Is this correct? If so, how come they are allowed to sell them to the public?
September 13th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
I’d guess that the 400¬∞ you are talking about is in Fahrenheit, which converts to about 205¬∞ Celsius.
If it was 400°C then it would just burn the outside of whatever you put in it long before the middle cooked.
The numbers I gave are in degrees C, so your grill is still about 55° below the point where there is any chance of danger.
September 13th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Doh! I should have taken a closer look at your blog. I’ve been checking your blog for the past few days for an answer. Thanks for responding…even if it was a dumb question!
November 24th, 2010 at 5:41 am
Always wise to put in sources; when you make statements about something. If you google, you will find far more evidence linking the dangers of using Teflon vs those against. A bare frying pan heated can reach 280* C in about 5 minutes; which is 20* higher than the safety standards of using Teflon.
Though rare perhaps – still a possibility; and perhaps sufficient cause to give Teflon a miss.
May 25th, 2011 at 1:26 am
Hello, I have read your blog and have one more question. Is there aluminium in PTFE? I need to know as my boy has aluminium poisoning (caused would you believe it seems from the Swiss Sigg alum. water bottle – which he used for 4 years – we had about 10 of them). As a result we have him on a alum. free diet and his body is getting rid of the toxin naturally over months – the doctor is so far happy with progress – but he is still 5 times the max amount (was 15 times!).(his health deteriorated to a shocking standard and it made him not able to talk – that is all changing within months of stopping using this drink bottle would you believe – a miracle cure). I am using Bread makers – and all the bread pans are aluminium – but then coated in this PTFE (it is a double edge sword as I have him on a healthy diet without preservatives and finally he is eating german grain bread home made – but in the bread machine). Your comments would be greatly appreciated – thank you kindly.
May 25th, 2011 at 11:14 am
PTFE (Teflon) itself doesn’t contain any aluminium, it is made up of carbon and flourine atoms, and so you should be fine there.
The problem is that, like with your bread maker, the base material under the teflon is virtually always aluminium. This means that as long as there are no scratches at all, there is no way for the food to come into contact with the aluminium, but if it does get scratched then obviously it can.
Wash the pans without using a scourer, don’t use metal utensils in them, and check for scratches and you should be fine.
Hope that helps.
October 25th, 2011 at 10:36 pm
Today I have bought a new Teflon frying-pan , and my friend told me it was a waste of money and a danger for my health …
So, what shall I do ?
Sincerely,
Tanya
November 10th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
Tatyana – It is not a danger to your health, as long as you don’t heat it above 260°C, you should also use wood or plastic utensils and not metal ones as they scratch the surface and you could get flakes of teflon in your food.
December 12th, 2011 at 2:08 am
Teflon and its generic counterparts have been found in cord blood samples taken from newborns nationwide. That can’t be good.
There was, if memory serves, a voluntary agreement by DuPont with the FDA to phase out PTFE by 2015. I don’t see that happening or even any news coverage to follow up. To the contrary, PTFE continues to find new uses. In recent years, it has even begun to turn up in bathroom cleaning products!
I believe it was Dateline or 20/20 that demonstrated several years back that bacon frying in a pan can release these byproducts into the food because it can, in fact, reach dangerous temperatures. Bird owners, too, find that they can’t keep birds in proximity to Teflon during cooking. If the product wasn’t releasing toxins until 500 degrees or greater, there would be no bird deaths. But there have been. And that means that not every context for human health is safe, either.
With the exception of people who are unusually health conscious, most people I know who own Teflon-coated cookware use it after it begins to scratch. I know MDs who think nothing of it. The problem is that once a substance is common people will push the safety limits. Not unlike the over-use of Tylenol to the point where liver damage can occur in combination with other drugs or alcohol. People think “A little bit didn’t hurt so a lot won’t either.”
I don’t know what sensationalist article you read on the Internet pertaining to the dangers of nonstick coatings, but they aren’t exactly exaggerated. I am not saying that everyone should abandoned properly cared for nonstick products, but I do believe its use should be scaled back and the demand for cleaner, organic solutions should be recognized as a selling point, not unlike the removal of BPA from plastic is now appearing on product packaging as a selling point.
An informed consumer is a consumer that will drive new market innovations. Where there is a buyer there is a market to be tapped. There’s no reason not to fulfill that demand just to keep an old product on the market.
January 8th, 2012 at 8:35 pm
Interesting discussion, but I sense a disconnect. Clearly, there are times when frying foods the temperature will exceed recognized safety levels even with the safest of cooking practices. With safe alternatives readily available why would we want to keep this product on the market?
January 28th, 2012 at 9:36 am
260 degrees c is 500 degrees f. oven burners on high can get around 600 degrees f which is high enough to break down the teflon compound, therefore the pofa can be released. it is a potentially dangerous chemical. if it’s so safe, then why is it being outlawed for cookware? exactly.
February 7th, 2012 at 6:13 am
Every Teflon pan I ever owned has been scratched up from use. Wear and tear. The Teflon deteriorates,flakes off, and gets into the food…you get the picture. And, I would imagine different people would have varying sensitivities to compounds such as Teflon. I know on many, many occassions I have burned something in my old Teflon pans – got the temperature above 600 degrees, and scratched the non-stick surface until it wasnt so non-stick anymore. And, though Dupont may have patented their recipe “Teflon,” how many inferior knock-off versions of the non-stick wonder are being peddled in dollar stores across the country? I know my numerous scratched-up non-stick pans have caused me to ingest many milligrams or maybe even grams of the “Teflon” and various non-stick versions thereof. This has caused me to switch to stainless steel cookware since Dupont does not recommend eating Teflon.
July 23rd, 2012 at 7:26 pm
I have been concerned for a while about my Teflon/non-stick pans and recently considered throwing all of them away (why would I donate them to a charity only to have the ones who might get them from there be exposed to danger?). In doing my due diligence, I found this site. I have decided to throw away! Now, my problem is that I have read that steel and iron and aluminum also leach into food. So my question is: anodized aluminum, ceramic, or porcelain? Any answers? Thanks in advance.
July 23rd, 2012 at 7:26 pm
Your comment…
August 29th, 2012 at 11:37 am
I’m a chemist and I deal with teflon at my company. Although I won’t prove to you I’m a chemist by giving you personal information, I challenge you to look for scientific facts on the internet and not just internet bias posts/websites who have aims, biased and can be unreliable.) There are other informative sites besides the Dupont loves teflon and Teflon cookware equals the plague dot coms.
Also if you see a number followed by C or F, I am referring to a temperature in celcius and fahrenheit. example 260C is 260 celcius.
—–
Teflon itself is chemically inert and has a low coefficient of friction with metal surfaces. It has many applicable functions and is here to stay.
POFA- I assume you are referring to PFOA (perflourooctanoic acid). This is a chemical used in producing Teflon. It is toxic and a carcinogen. This is the big fear! But it has been confirmed to be banned from the MANUFACTURING process of TEFLON/PTFE by 2015 (to clarify NewsView post). PFOA boiling point (it becomes a vapor/gas) is 189-192C which will alarm you guys because 260 C (equal to 500 Fahrenheit) is the scary temperature of Teflon usage. Well 1) to put raw teflon onto a pan it goes through a heat process of 425C (800F), 2) one of the last processes in making raw teflon is to heat treat it to 360C/680 F (above the melting point on Teflon so it’s one mold ready to ship out). I’m just pointing out even though harmful chemicals are used during manufacturing by the time is comes as a final product to consumers a lot of harmful chemicals have been burnt off. Health agencies from around the world would agree that minimal amounts are present in cookware (if you think any trace is the same as death then I will advise you to hold your breath because the air you breath would surprise you). If you’re still worried about PFOA then look up PFOA exposure. It can be found from many sources like your carpet, air, well drinking water and popcorn bags. The air and water contamination is mostly due from manufacturers using PFOA and leaking it into the environment. Which I repeat is being phased out of use by 2015. But my point is teflon cookware is not your biggest fear with PFOA exposure.
As for the other harmful chemicals that can appear from heating a pan above 260C/500F think these cooking temperatures (look this up online, I’m sure it’s not exact as different will vary a LITTLE):
deep fry a turkey at 350 F
steak cooked medium is 145F
steak cooked medium rare is 130F
Most used Cooking fats, oils, and butter with scorch/smoke below 400 but there are some that fall into the 400-500F range and avocado oil is above 500F. (search “smoking point”)
You may say you cook a steak at a higher temperature than the center but signs of smoke from fat and oils should remind not to cook so high and fast. Overcooked meat increases your risk of cancer which will most like cause death than teflon or chemical traces that are more likely to be reversible or not have permanent effects.
I read a statement: it has been reported that a teflon pan can reach 383C/721F in just fives minutes on a stove if left unattended and empty. My response is don’t be so negligent. If you’re like most people you interpret smoke as a sign to turn down the heat and use tools for their intended purpose. So avocado oil is not intended for teflon cookware but MOST common day cooking is.
Everyone is vulnerable to traces amount on something, it’s just the total exposure level you should be worried about (and also your own body’s sensitivity to certain materials). As for the aluminum poisoning story from aluminum water bottle I would look at the quality of that bottle. We shouldn’t stop using aluminum now. Aluminum cans are an american standard but yet how many cases do we have against it (I’m not demeaning the person or their son. Health is no laughing matter.) My point goes out to those who cause fear out there thinking if it isn’t PURE then it’s bad for you. In fact purified/ demineralized/ distilled water is harmful for your body (look this up). Food for thought (no pun intended).
September 4th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Wow, amazing weblog format! How long have you ever been blogging for? you made running a blog look easy. The total look of your web site is excellent, as neatly as the content material!
September 28th, 2012 at 9:49 pm
Okay, all the stuff about frying pans makes sense, but what about toaster ovens? I’m in the market for a new one, and all but Waring use some sort of non-stick. The guys at Cuisinart said that their coating is PTFE, but PFOA-free. Honestly, I don’t know what that means anymore. But if temperature is a problem, how are you supposed to broil in the oven, when the dial says it will heat to 500F? There won’t be food on the oven walls to keep them cool. And while a steak may be done at and internal temperature of 145F, the cooking utensil has to be much hotter to get it that way. I don’t have any birds, but I do have a toddler and a baby on the way, so I’m worried.
November 22nd, 2012 at 6:31 am
Cooking chemist thank you for you help, it is very informative
December 24th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
I just bought 2 ceramic coated pans from Berndes. I read the whole blog. This is pure redundancy, but health is priority for me. I do not really fry, I never use the highest setting on my stove. I purchased them to reheat with a non stick pan for quick clean up and make scrambled eggs ( a setting of 4-6, basically a medium setting)occasionally my husband will fry them. And I basically only use extra virgin olive oil and light olive oil. How does the release of ptfe fit in to my style of cooking. Sigh, it’s always something isn’t it?
Thanks
January 4th, 2013 at 11:40 am
Hi John
I have a rice cooker which I think is aliminuim with a teflon coating . What I want to no is that quite a bit of the teflon coating has worn off and so is my rice cooker stil safe to use.
cheers rachael