I finally broke down and bought my first non-stick skillet last year, which I only use for slow-cooked eggs.

I'm just wondering...are any of you throwing out your non-stick pans yet?

This is why I've favored my cast iron pans...

Anyone else?

However, Teflon itself is not carcinogenic. It's the PFOA used it the manufacture of Teflon that poses the danger, and it's the workers who are making Teflon, not home cooks, who are in danger.

Of course, Teflon is dangerous in the home if heated more than 350° or so, as it off-gasses very harmful fumes. That's why I use SS. But there are no problems for cooks using Teflon in the home, especially if they keep it away from the stove.

There's no proof of this, based on reports I've heard. It was reported teflon showing in blood tests, but no relation between cancer and teflon has been proven...

TJ

Thanks, Spewey, for making me laugh! I guess you could use it for a birdbath instead.

Claire de Luna - I threw out my teflon skillet years ago and tried to learn to make eggs in stainless pans. Even with plenty of oil they still stuck. Finally I bought a Scanpan and I absolutely love it. Nothing sticks and it's still safe.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8404384/

A burning 2x4 can create enough combustion byproducts to kill an adult.

Do 2x4s cause cancer?

I have to admit, I take many news reports about things such as this with a HUGE grain of salt.

Remember the headlines some years ago "Aluminum Linked to Alzheimers!"

They gave the distinct impression that aluminum CAUSED Alzheimer's, sending many people into absolute panics. Every once in awhile here on the forums you'll see someone come up with "I never use aluminum, I'm afraid of Alzheimer's," or some such.

In fact, though, even when this was big news, there was no causal link established between aluminum and Alzheimers.

Scientists/researchs simply didn't know if the aluminum deposits they were finding in the brains of Alzheimers patients were the cause of the disease, a symptom of the disease, or pure random chance.

These days all of the research I've seen says that no, aluminum doesn't cause Alzheimer's.

My 2 cents.

I learned to cook in cast iron & now I prefer it.

I changed to a combination of le Creuset and stainless steel that works fine.

Thanks.

You invested a bunch in those pans so I would just try to be careful about how I use them. If I were you, I would put away any metal spatulas, spoons or anything that could scratch the surface and invest in good wooden, nylon or silicone utensils. Also be careful never to heat the pan empty, always have liquid or something in the pan. I wouldn't use the pans for searing on high heat since doing so degrades the surface, instead buy another material like cast iron, or stainless for those particular jobs. I think until we know more, and if you are careful with the pans, they should be fine for you and your family.

Thanks for your answer!

Calphalon One are advertised as "non stick" but it's not coated in teflon. Calphalon describe their coating process:

"An advanced release polymer is infused in the skillet's surface, unlike nonstick coatings that sit on top of the metal, to minimize sticking and make cleanup easy."

Unlike teflon-coated pans, Calphalon are safe to use with metal utensils.

So you can rest easy on the teflon front.

On the down side, apparently they're not really non-stick, but rather, "stick resistant".

But it's not Teflon(R) brand PTFE...

I'm wondering if this is just a bunch of marketing-speak for, "Our XYZ(R) brand PTFE is better than your Teflon(R) brand PTFE."?

Yep. It's a good case for feeding your dog raw food, cutting way back on grease, cooking at home and making friends with your cast iron pan...

The Scare:
Public concern about trace levels of chemicals in human blood (usually only a few parts per billion) is not new.(110) In 2004, particular scrutiny was aimed at the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the environment and in human blood. PFOA is used in the production of consumer products such as Teflon and is also used in a variety of manufacturing, such as the automotive and aerospace industries. PFOA is sometimes referred to by the trade name C-8, a substance that contains a product of PFOA. In 2004, legal claims were brought against DuPont (the manufacturer of Teflon) regarding their reporting of information about PFOA’s presence in water supplies and human blood and its ability to cross the placenta from mother to fetus. Related media reports indicated that DuPont had concealed evidence of PFOA’s harmful effects, and some reports distorted the scientific evidence, indicating that low levels of PFOA have been conclusively found to be harmful to humans when they have not.

Where Did the Scare Come From?
In July 2004 (and again in December 2004), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claimed that DuPont was in violation of regulations requiring reporting of information about chemicals to the EPA.(111) The accusations charged that DuPont violated EPA regulations by not reporting the levels of PFOA found in some water supplies and not reporting that PFOA had been found to cross the placenta to the fetus of at least one DuPont worker in the 1980s. Additionally, in September 2004, DuPont settled a class action lawsuit regarding the release of PFOA into water supplies near factories. Claims regarding the harmful effects of PFOA are based on studies of rats with very high exposures to the substance.(112)

The Media Coverage:
While the issues involving PFOA revolved around legal requirements to report information about PFOA’s presence—not scientific evidence that PFOA caused harm in humans—some media coverage indicated that these legal actions showed that PFOA was harmful or that evidence indicating its harm had been suppressed. For example, one headline claimed "EPA says DuPont withheld chemical's danger; The company knew for 20 years that the substance used to make Teflon posed a risk to its workers and the public, the agency charges."(113) Regarding the scientific studies of PFOA, one article mentioned the Environmental Working Group’s claim that, "Among the more troubling topics are evidence of elevated levels of liver enzymes, prostate cancer, and reproductive problems—and that some of the liver problems were present no matter how low the level of C-8 in the blood."(114)

Concern about the health effects of PFOA, which is used in manufacturing Teflon, also became conflated with concern about the use of Teflon products themselves. A report on ABC’s 20/20 in November 2003 set the stage for panic about using Teflon products; in its discussion of the "dangers of Teflon," it spoke about potential harm by PFOA as if it was evidence that Teflon itself posed a danger (it also muddled the issue by discussing allegations of the harm from fumes from overheated Teflon).(115) One article in 2004 advised readers to "phase out [their] use of Teflon pans" as they contain substances that are "highly toxic and can cause birth defects and several types of cancer."(116)
The Bottom Line:
The controversy regarding PFOA resulted from DuPont’s legal requirement to report the presence of PFOA. Misreporting of PFOA’s presence does not, however, translate into scientific evidence that PFOA causes harm to humans. As previously mentioned, some studies of the administration of high levels of PFOA to rats have shown that the animals experience adverse effects. However, the EPA has estimated that the margin of safety between blood levels of PFOA in the general human population and the blood levels of PFOA in affected rats is about 100-10,000.(117) Therefore, it is untrue that there is no safe level of PFOA in humans. Furthermore, studies of workers who were occupationally exposed to high levels of PFOA have not found adverse effects.(118) The recent data interpreted as indicating elevated human cancer rates due to PFOA were prepared for support of litigation and were not published or peer-reviewed.(119) Additionally, it must be made clear that while PFOA is used in manufacturing Teflon, the final consumer product does not contain PFOA. While the EPA’s current investigation of PFOA may be helpful in enhancing understanding of PFOA’s behavior in humans, based on current evidence, it is very unlikely there is any risk of human harm from PFOA (particularly in the amounts to which most people are typically exposed).

That scare went was linked to aluminum and was later proven false.

Here is a great little website for getting good truthful and unbiased information.

Inhalation of any particulate material can cause problems, even completely inert ones.

For example, quartz dust. Completely chemically inert, but will scar the living hell out of the lungs and cause silicosis.

imma gonna go finish off my vodka while i read up more on this.

Wait around long enough and you will see Al Gore pushing some "green" pots and pans.......and people throwing out perfectly good cookware to buy his product.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus