Nonstick Edition...

Nonstick pans are known as a great alternative to using excess fat when cooking. Are they?

If you haven't heard of the dangers of nonstick cookware, rest easy once you learn that DuPont HAS! They have known of all the risks and dangers of their Teflon products for awhile. Every major news source has been on it- ABC, NPR, BBC, The New York Times.

Diabetes, organ damage, and raised cholesterol are just a few maladies linked to nonstick surfaces. The most recent articles report nonstick chemicals as a possible cause of thyroid disease.

Bird owners have been warned not to use their pans with pet birds in the room after a 24-year-old Amazon parrot dropped dead due to the off-gassing of a heated Teflon pan. The company also advises users never to heat the pan above 500 degrees.

Dupont routinely tests the blood of their workers, specifically females, and follows their pregnancies and birth outcomes. They have even relocated workers who are of child bearing age, removing them from factories.

A town downriver from a DuPont plant in West Virgina had their water supply tested by the company. This water was found to be contaminated with plenty of the chemical abbreviated to PFOA or C8. These water tests and blood test results were illegally hidden from the public. Following the pollution and poisoning of this town and their people, a class action lawsuit was filed. Dupont agreed to shell-out up to $343 million, settling out of court to take care of their wrongdoing. The agreement

A plaintiff in this case, Bucky Baily, was born to a Dupont Factory worker. I swear his name is not fictitious and neither is is face. Sad but true, his mother worked at the West Virginia factory, and her pregnancy was one that was "watched" by the company. This is not the same face he had at birth. Unfortunately, back then it was worse. He has had surgery after surgery to correct the birth defects.


Alternatives To Teflon

There are many great alternatives to Teflon. Williams Sonoma carries a line of bakeware called GoldTouch. It's nonstick coating is made from ceramic. This line is pure genius and works wonderfully.

I really love my cast iron skillets. I couldn't live without them. They are good for so many purposes and even offer the benefit of adding iron to your food! Women of childbearing age know how important this extra iron is... whether you are menstruating, pregnant, or nursing. Iron also supports proper brain development in children.

Enameled cast iron is expensive, however a good option if you want something pretty and easy to clean.

Pyrex also makes fabulous bakeware. I absolutely love their pie trays and loaf pans. The wonderful thing about glass cookware is that it holds it's heat well. When you have something you want to cook in the middle without burning it, glass can help you achieve this result.

Some options that I haven't tried are silicone bakeware and the Green Pan line, a "safer" nonstick found at Target. I am still weary of those options, so let me know if you have any good insight on it.

Needless to say, Teflon, if you can't take the heat then GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN!

Want to learn more?

http://www.ewg.org/node/8735

http://www.ewg.org/node/8735

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/07/dining/07pans.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=teflon&st=cse

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/3697324.stm