I would notify Ikea immediately. 2 months after purchase and the pan is defective!? I would take it back to whatever store you got it from and get a new pan or refund. Pans (even if purchased at Walmart)are supposed to last longer then 2 months. Take it back. NancyLouise

Wow! When someone wrote in a thread in the Appliance forum about not using a Brillo pad too much in a stainless steel pan, I was tempted to comment that anyone who could cut through the metal has a job at my house removing paint. But here we see a case of plating on what looks like aluminum. Not only is it apparently etched through, but the rest of the surface looks very scratched. That shouldn't happen with real stainless steel being contacted by stainless steel utensils.

It is hard for me to believe that any manufacturer would build a pan or pot in this manner, but here it is, and I remain amazed. I suggest buying pans that are built of drawn stainless steel, with or without added materials at the bottom on the outside (copper, aluminum, sandwiched stuff for induction, etc.)

With respect to the point of the question, I would doubt that even this crappy coating would dissolve into its constituent metals if ingested, and that they would form compounds that would be toxic in sufficient quantity to have a health effect. But why risk it when the pan, as noted above, is not only defective, but not suitable for its use. If you want stainless steel, use drawn stainless steel, and not plated pseudo stainless steel. If you want aluminum, use aluminum and don't cook acidic stuff in it as it will attack the surface.

kas