The Dangers of Cooking with Teflon Products

Everyone loves the convenience of a non-stick Teflon pan. We use them daily, but is it dangerous? So many of us cooking with Teflon are unaware of such things as the "Teflon flu". The Teflon flu may occur after cooking at high temperatures with a Teflon pan. The flu like symptoms that may occur is chills, headache, backaches, and an elevated temperature.

People are often mistaken, and believe that Teflon is safe, until the ban is burnt. This is correct to a certain degree, Teflon is dangerous when heated to a certain heat, so burning would ensure that this heat level is surpassed.

As it happens, the compounds that are used to create the Teflon are under investigation by the EPA (Environmental protection agency). These compounds are thought to be dangerous, and are even classified as carcinogens. Ammonium perfluorooctanoate is the main ingredient used to create this non-stick pan, also referred to as C-8. It has been linked to cancer and organ damage in animals, but has yet to have found to link to such in humans. Animals and humans are closely linked, and it will just be a matter of time before Teflon is considered dangerous. It has also been thought that Teflon may contribute to birth defects. Is the luxury of a non-stick pan worth the possibility of these effects? Although the symptoms may subside after a few days, there are still dangers in using the non-stick pans.

The scary thing is, that there isn't just one chemical released, it has been proven that there is more than fifteen chemicals released when you heat the Teflon in a Teflon pan. As it turns out, these gases are harmful to humans, but they are fatal to birds!

Teflon pans can be very expensive and of good quality. If you have a set of high quality Teflon pans than I am not saying that you should put them in the donation box, you should merely not use them daily, or avoid using them with high temperatures. This way, you are not being exposed to the chemicals on a daily basis.

There are many alternatives to Teflon, the safest being olive oil - use some oil in a non-Teflon pan, and you should have the same effects as if you were cooking in a Teflon pan! Doesn't this sound like a nice alternative? The only side effects you will have from olive oil are healthy skin and hair! Another healthy alternative is porcelain cookware - porcelain cooks evenly, and you achieve a nice even bake from cookies to casseroles!