Is it bad to cook with Teflon pans?

The teflon is one of the most useful coatings in the world of cooking, as it helps us prepare countless dishes without the risk of ingredients sticking. Whether you’re making fried eggs, pancakes, or any delicate food, teflon pans and other utensils are often great allies. However, the use of this non-stick coating is surrounded by controversy, as there is a debate about its potential effects on health. At kiwilimón, we share everything you need to know about teflon so you can determine whether it is good or bad to cook with it.What is teflon?The polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), better known as teflon, is a chemical plastic coating that helps various surfaces become waterproof, non-stick, non-reactive, and non-corrosive, as noted by the Industrial Coat website.The PTFE was discovered accidentally in 1938 by chemist Roy J. Plunkett, who was working for DuPont looking for non-toxic refrigerant alternatives, but instead discovered this coating whose molecular structure forms a barrier with which other molecules, except for teflon, cannot interact, as stated by CONASI.The teflon is widely used in various industries, such as automotive, construction, and aerospace, to name a few. However, most people identify this coating due to its use in the kitchen, where it began to be used in pans. Today, there are all kinds of teflon-coated utensils that make our lives easier by preventing food from sticking and allowing us to use less oil when cooking.Is it safe to cook with teflon?Despite how practical it is for cooking various foods that would otherwise stick irreparably to our pots and pans, the use of teflon utensils is surrounded by controversies regarding their potential health effects. In itself, teflon is not toxic, so the topic of debate comes from another angle. As noted by Healthline, the center of this debate has focused on a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Exposure to PFOA has been linked to various health conditions, such as thyroid diseases, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, and testicular cancer, among others.In the past, PFOA was used to adhere teflon to pans and other utensils, which posed a health risk due to the ingestion of food contaminated by this substance. However, various manufacturers have been eliminating PFOA from the production of teflon utensils, and it is noteworthy that some experts claim that exposure to PFOA through food is minimal, so there would not be a significant health risk from this source.On the other hand, the company Chemours maintains that teflon coatings are designed not to chip or peel off. Furthermore, like the WebMD website, the company that invented teflon states that, in the case of accidental ingestion of this material, there would be no problem, as it is not toxic nor is it absorbed by the body being an inert substance.On the other hand, the non-profit organization Food Print indicates that while manufacturers have been eliminating PFOA from teflon utensils, they still contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances, also known as “forever chemicals,” as they do not break down in the environment or in our bodies. Additionally, these synthetic chemical agents have been linked to various types of cancer and endocrine disruption and their presence has been recorded in the bloodstream.Cooking with teflon pans does not cause the effects of PFAS on health, but the production of such utensils contaminates the environment and drinking water, including that used for irrigating crops. To make matters worse, there are nearly 4700 PFAS and information about their health effects is still limited. Therefore, some experts recommend refraining from using any product that contains them as a precaution. In conclusion, cooking with teflon pans does not pose a direct health risk as long as they do not contain PFOA. However, one must consider the environmental impact of their production, which ultimately does affect our health.Now that you have all the information about teflon pans, you can make more informed decisions to take care of your family's health. At kiwilimón, we care about your well-being, so we share everything related to cooking topics so you can stay healthy.