Guest Warns About "Dangers of Nonstick"!

[SusanBP0129]

So....I did a show friday night - everyone was very nice, but after I did my whole Cookware Sales Pitch (about the 12 inch skillet), one of the guests started quoting Cooks Illustrated saying to NEVER EVER buy nonstick...inhaling the fumes can be dangerous, yada yada...
Anyone ever encounter this one???

 

[BethCooks4U]

There has been a ton written about this. The cookware would have to be heated to a temperature way above anything we cook at for it to create such fumes. Some of that information is true (at extreme temperatures) but much of it is urban legend.

Next time just thank the person for bringing that up and say that the new nonstick cookware is save to temperatures well above what anyone would be cooking at.

 

[janetupnorth]

Yes, I have had an encounter about that too...search on here, someone (maybe it was you Beth) posted a letter about the teflon coating from the manufacturer. Either that or I found it online...

It is a case of "telephone" - one person states that it is bad because of one little thing and by the time it gets out of line, it is not correct, but coming from a normally trustworthy source, people believe it and pass it on...

 

[BethCooks4U]

I believe there was even something from PC (weekly bytes?) addressing this too. You could email the test kitchens about this. They will respond with a good answer to give your gurests.

Be sure to post their reply!

 

[ShanaSmith]

I always tell people Yes, the fumes that can come from your nonstick cookware can be dangerous at extreem temps. So, if your house is on fire, then the fumes might not be good for you. Short of that you are fine.

 

[soccermama]

I had a host's DH go do research on the internet while I was doing my show once. LOL It was funny, and I'm glad he did. The info he found basically said that if you're using the cookware in the way it is intended, it is perfectly safe.......

 

[janetupnorth]

Go to files - put Teflon in the search box and you will find the letter and information.

 

[janetupnorth]

Here is an old thread about it:

http://www.chefsuccess.com/showthread.php?t=5416

 

[chefkeri]

You are not alone...Hi Sue!

Glad you can get some feedback about this... xoxoxoxo

 

[legacypc46]

Can anyone clarify the risk to pet birds? The PUC card for the Executive Cookware says overheating the pans can generate fumes dangerous to pet birds.

I've been asked about this...but don't know the best and most accurate answer. I'd hate to minimize the danger and have a customer's bird expire!

Kris

 

[katie0128]

Found this on DuPont's website...

link...
http://www2.dupont.com/PFOA/en_US/product_safety/index.html

actual text...
Are fumes from over-heated non-stick cookware hazardous to birds?

Because birds have extremely sensitive respiratory systems, bird owners must take precautions to protect them. Cooking fumes, smoke and odors that have little or no effect on people can seriously sicken and even kill birds, often quite quickly. Cooking fumes from any type of unattended or overheated cookware, not just non-stick, can damage a bird’s lungs with alarming speed.This is why bird owners should take steps to protect their pets, such as keeping their birds out of the kitchen, never leaving cookware unattended, never allowing pots and pans to overheat, and making sure that their kitchen is properly ventilated at all times. For more information on safeguarding your pet bird from dangers in the kitchen, please visit our Bird Safety page.

 

[legacypc46]

Thanks for the quick response!!!!

Kris

 

[legacypc46]

Oh, I'm Wave 1 also! See you in Chicago!

 

[chefann]

One of the things to remember about heating your cookware is that the nonstick coating will get hotter if the pan is empty. So if you spritz your pan with a little oil when you put it on to preheat, the oil will start to smoke long before the pan reaches dangerous temps.Using your cookware according to the directions also reduces the risk. That means not cooking on high EVER. Use medium-high or lower temps ONLY. I've got pet birds and am very careful about heating my cookware. We haven't had any problems, but I never leave empty pans unattended on the stove.

 

[chefann]

Almost forgot- ANY chemical nonstick coating has the potential to be harmful to birds. That includes the nonstick that's on our bakeware (cake pans, torte pans, mini muffin pan). It's not as much of an issue with those because they're almost never heated empty and oven temps aren't as high as stove burners get. But it is something to be aware of.

 

[whiteyteresa]

I had a lady ask me about this and I called home office and the person at home office told me that the ex. cookware didn't have teflon in it.

That is what I was told

~

 

[chefann]

Teflon is a specific type on nonstick coating. HO is correct that the Exec. cookware doesn't contain it. But there is a danger of PTFE fumes from ANY nonstick coating.

 

[AJPratt]

I always tell people Yes, the fumes that can come from your nonstick cookware can be dangerous at extreme temps. So, if your house is on fire, then the fumes might not be good for you. Short of that you are fine.

That is a great response... it addresses the initial concern but also lets them know, its not a realistic concern for regular home use.

 

[pampered1224]

One thing else to note...When anyone brings up Cook's Illistrated or Cook's Country (their new offshoot magazine) as well as America's Test Kitchens TV show on PBS channels. I simply ask them too if they went beyond the article to read up on non-stick. They would have found, and I say this to my guests, that the Test Kitchens themselves will tell you IT IS dangerous. HOWEVER, they note that "Only if improperly used."
Then they could check out the results of the Cook's Illistrated rating for non-stick cookware. Why would they even bother to test it, rate it and EVEN USE it on camera if it were bad for you when used properly?
That usually does the trick for me.

 

[mellissacooks4you]

Didn't get on yesterday but my director talked about this at a cluster meeting. The most dangerous fumes are actually from the manufacturing process, and they have been working on the emisions.
The chances of getting your pan hot enough to be dangerous are very very slim.

 

[MWCOOKIN]

PERHAPS THIS WILL BE HELPFUL?????

DuPont Statement on ABC "20/20" Segment on Teflon®
FROM DUPONT.COM
Instead of relying on the well-documented facts and the science regarding the safety of Teflon® branded products, ABC has chosen to accept on face value certain allegations and draw inappropriate inferences from documents and events that are unrelated to the safety of Teflon®. In fact, ABC "20/20" failed to provide any new information that would question the safety of Teflon® and Stainmaster®. Evidence from 50 years of experience and extensive scientific studies supports the conclusion that Teflon® branded products and PFOA (also known as C-8, a compound used to produce fluoropolymers, some of which are sold under the Teflon® brand), do not cause any adverse human health effects. In addition:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that Teflon® is safe for its intended use.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) denied a request from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to consider warning labels for cookware. In a letter announcing its decision, CPSC told EWG that its petition "did not provide sufficient information" to support that non-stick coatings "have the ability to cause substantial injury or illness to a person through reasonably foreseeable handling or use."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated that it does not believe there is any reason for consumers to stop using any consumer or industrial related products – as part of its investigation of PFOA.
For 201 years, DuPont has lived by a number of core values, including safety and high ethical standards. The company has been open and forthcoming about all aspects of the safety of PFOA and its use. We have consistently reported information to our employees, to government officials and to citizens of our plant communities. We adamantly deny any allegations that we have acted improperly or unethically. DuPont remains fully committed to the safety of its operations and products. We recognize that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has questions about PFOA, largely based on the fact that the "general U.S. population may be exposed to very low levels of PFOA." We are working voluntarily with EPA and others to address these questions. We would support EPA regulations based on sound science, because this would confirm to consumers that the products they use are safe for human health and the environment. It is important to note that while its review of PFOA is under way, the EPA has said there is no reason for consumers to stop using products. We followed our practice of openness with the news media and provided "20/20" with access to our experts and facilities. We clearly stated our position and the facts on the safety of PFOA to Producer Rhonda Schwartz and Reporter Brian Ross on two separate occasions and provided supporting documentation. These facts were ignored. We would like to share the facts on several other subjects discussed in the "20/20" segment:
Cookware Safety: Products sold under the Teflon® brand are safe for consumers to use. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have each reviewed the safety of cookware coated with DuPont™ Teflon® non-stick coating. Our products were determined to be safe and have been approved for normal use in the kitchen. In addition, the U.S. EPA, as part of its investigation of PFOA, has said it "does not believe there is any reason for consumers to stop using any consumer or industrial related product."
In over 40 years of use, there have been billions of pots and pans sold around the world that are coated with DuPont™ Teflon® non-stick coatings and we know of no serious chronic or acute health problems associated with their use. In conventional cooking situations, there is no coating degradation and therefore, no potential exposure to polymer fumes. At 500 degrees F, PTFE (non-stick coating for cookware) would not emit any material that could be harmful to human health. However, at this temperature, butter, oils and food will begin to break down. DuPont is aware of only one published incident of a pan left unattended which resulted in a case of polymer fume fever in an individual. The effects were temporary. Information on proper use is available on DuPontâ„¢ Teflon® fluoropolymers.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) submitted a request to the CPSC asking the commission to enter an order that cookware with non-stick coatings, including Teflon® coatings, "carry a label warning of the acute hazard the coating poses to pet birds and humans." On June 27, 2003, the commission said EWG's submission "does not provide information that shows that these chemicals are released in amounts that would be expected during a consumer's use of the product and that these amounts would cause human illness." EWG's request was denied. DuPont fully agrees with the commission's conclusions regarding the safety of our products.
The claims made by the EWG are totally inconsistent with our experience and the experience of hundreds of millions of consumers around the world who use our products safely and consistent with conventional kitchen use on a daily basis – thus deriving the convenience and benefits provided by Teflon®.
Teflon® Stain-Resist Textiles and Stainmaster® Carpet: PFOA is not used to make Stainmaster® carpet or Teflon® stain-resistant textiles, nor is PFOA used to make telomers, the ingredient to make soil, stain and grease repellants for paper, apparel, upholstery and carpets.
Telomers are applied at very low concentrations to consumer products such as carpet and apparel. In over 35 years of testing of our chemistry and the commercial products it is applied to, we have seen no safety concerns or health risks associated with our use of DuPont telomer chemistry. There are some data that suggest that trace amounts of PFOA may be detected in telomers.
Our studies indicate that PFOA is not easily absorbed through the skin. In fact, PFOA has one of the lowest skin absorption rates of any chemical that has been tested. Given the extremely low potential for exposure from carpet or apparel, combined with PFOA's low potential to be absorbed through the skin, there is no potential significant exposure to PFOA from carpet or textile products.
Consequently, we do not believe that contact with carpet or other textile products represents a safety concern to consumers. The U.S. EPA reached the same conclusion, stating that, as part of its investigation of PFOA, it "does not believe there is any reason for consumers to stop using any consumer or industrial related product."
Reporting Birth Defects: There is no scientific basis to support the claims of two former DuPont employees that the birth defects of their children were related to PFOA. Our conclusions are supported by extensive scientific and toxicological studies. In addition, a 3M study monitoring pregnant employees exposed to PFOA found no association between PFOA and birth defects.
We are confident that PFOA does not cause birth defects.
In summary, DuPont's 201-year heritage is based on our core values of safety, health and environmental stewardship; high ethical standards; and a commitment to treat all people with respect. These values are foremost in everything we do as a company. They apply uniformly across all of our businesses everywhere we operate in the world. We are committed to these values, both now and in the future.
11/14/03

 

[mrshamel3808]

I was under the impression that Teflon was the one that was harmful to pets - specifically birds but also cats & dogs to a lesser degree, my sis-in-law is a huge animal lover so she doesn't use non-stick cookware ever just to be safe since she owns multiple birds, dogs and cats . I didn't think the PC cookware used Teflon since it doesn't list it. Am I incorrect?

 

[chefann]

Teflon is an early iteration of nonstick coating. They're all related in some way. Nonstick cookware is perfectly safe, if you follow the use and care. Most importantly, don't overheat the pans, and don't heat them empty. Put a little water or spray them with a bit of oil if you feel the need to preheat. Either of those will help distribute the heat and release it into the air, as well as being a visual for when the pan gets hot (the water will boil out, and the oil will start to smoke).I have birds, and would never risk them by using a product I feel is unsafe. If you're still unsure, keep all pets and small children out of the kitchen when nonstick cookware is in use, so keep them away from any potential fumes. The kitchen isn't a safe place for pets anyways, with the heat, steam, fumes and sharp objects.

 

[Jules711]

What I love about our nonstick is that I don't NEED to put in on high b/c it generates heat so quickly and evenly than Medium is usually just fine. If I'm doing something on high, I use my stainless.

 

[stefani2]

i had a lady at my show on saturday ask about this. I gave an answer that satisfactory to everyone else - just not her. nothing would have pleased her I think.

 

[Chef Gilles]

Why is everyone so concern about this. The SS Cookware is more expensive so if people won't buy the Exec. sell them the SS. More commission. I for one am a BIG fan of the SS Cookware....

 

[mrshamel3808]

Teflon is an early iteration of nonstick coating. They're all related in some way. Nonstick cookware is perfectly safe, if you follow the use and care. Most importantly, don't overheat the pans, and don't heat them empty. Put a little water or spray them with a bit of oil if you feel the need to preheat. Either of those will help distribute the heat and release it into the air, as well as being a visual for when the pan gets hot (the water will boil out, and the oil will start to smoke).

I have birds, and would never risk them by using a product I feel is unsafe. If you're still unsure, keep all pets and small children out of the kitchen when nonstick cookware is in use, so keep them away from any potential fumes. The kitchen isn't a safe place for pets anyways, with the heat, steam, fumes and sharp objects.

Good to know from someone who has birds! I guess instead of saying "this isn't Teflon so it's safe!" the selling point can be "because it heats so quickly and distributes heat so evenly, there's no need to pre-heat the pans so there's a reduced risk of the fumes affecting whoever's in the kitchen"