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Study finds link between 'forever chemicals' in cookware and liver cancer

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Re: Study finds link between 'forever chemicals' in cookware and liver cancer

#11

Post by Ancalagon »

guerrilla wrote: post #6

I saw "Dark Waters" [1] years ago and found that whole thing really horrific but I kept cooking with a Teflon pan until this week because I figured the process and result are distinct things (honestly how many industrial processes today don't have nightmarish byproducts...). Just this week though my pan totally died though and I happened to have this really beautiful cast iron pan with a ceramic handle of exactly the…

I read about PFAS years ago (didn't have teflon cookware then). Eventually a friend of mine gave me their old non-stick pan set. I had forgotten about PFAS, then re-learned about them and heard about their effects and pretty much instantly threw all the pans away. I bought three ceramic/cast-iron pans and haven't looked back.

Re: Study finds link between 'forever chemicals' in cookware and liver cancer

#13

Post by arcticbull »

amluto wrote: post #4
gilrain wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume they switched to a less studied but very similar analog, like happened with BPA? Edit: Yep, of course they did. > Another potential concern is that other PFAS are now in use. For example, hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO, also known as a ‘GenX’ chemical) is often used to replace PFOA in manufacturing processes, while perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) is used as a replacement for PFOS. New PFAS also continu…

I think the end goal is to not use a similar analogue. The problematic chemicals are fluorosurfactants used in production, and they are not actually useful in the final pan. Manufacturers are working on getting rid of them: https://www.solvay.com/en/article/eliminating-pfas As far as I know, PTFE itself is also a “forever chemical”, but it’s an extremely inert polymer and is unlikely to be particularly dangerous as l…

> ... but it’s an extremely inert polymer and is unlikely to be particularly dangerous as long as it doesn’t get too hot.

You mean like on a stovetop?

Re: Study finds link between 'forever chemicals' in cookware and liver cancer

#14

Post by arcticbull »

nerdawson wrote: post #8
elil17 wrote: post #2

The study didn’t actually find anything related to cookware. Modern Teflon in the US doesn’t expose people to PFOA/PFOS like old version did due to new regulations. The chemicals could also be entering peoples body’s through drinking water or bioaccumulation in meat or plants. You should throw away nonstick cookware from before 2013, but new nonstick cookware sold in the US does not have PFOA. I believe the EU follow…

Why take the risk for a minor convenience? Get stainless steel cookware and you’ll quickly learn how to avoid sticking by controlling temperature.

Or a cast iron skillet. Once you develop a good seasoning on it, it's just as nonstick as any pan I've owned.

Re: Study finds link between 'forever chemicals' in cookware and liver cancer

#15

Post by wahnfrieden »

daniel-s wrote: post #10
nerdawson wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why take the risk for a minor convenience? Get stainless steel cookware and you’ll quickly learn how to avoid sticking by controlling temperature.

I know nothing about this, please explain.

nyc restauranteur frank prisinzano explains it well on his instagram highlights (a kind of mini, continuous cooking course). start with learning his crispy egg technique

Re: Study finds link between 'forever chemicals' in cookware and liver cancer

#17

Post by wahnfrieden »

arcticbull wrote: post #14
nerdawson wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why take the risk for a minor convenience? Get stainless steel cookware and you’ll quickly learn how to avoid sticking by controlling temperature.

Or a cast iron skillet. Once you develop a good seasoning on it, it's just as nonstick as any pan I've owned.

unhygienic cast iron isn't necessary, stainless steel and heat control and steel wool are enough

Re: Study finds link between 'forever chemicals' in cookware and liver cancer

#18

Post by koolba »

arcticbull wrote: post #14
nerdawson wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why take the risk for a minor convenience? Get stainless steel cookware and you’ll quickly learn how to avoid sticking by controlling temperature.

Or a cast iron skillet. Once you develop a good seasoning on it, it's just as nonstick as any pan I've owned.

Cast iron pans are great but no matter the level of seasoning it will it never be as good as a new nonstick.

Re: Study finds link between 'forever chemicals' in cookware and liver cancer

#19

Post by derekp7 »

nerdawson wrote: post #8
elil17 wrote: post #2

The study didn’t actually find anything related to cookware. Modern Teflon in the US doesn’t expose people to PFOA/PFOS like old version did due to new regulations. The chemicals could also be entering peoples body’s through drinking water or bioaccumulation in meat or plants. You should throw away nonstick cookware from before 2013, but new nonstick cookware sold in the US does not have PFOA. I believe the EU follow…

Why take the risk for a minor convenience? Get stainless steel cookware and you’ll quickly learn how to avoid sticking by controlling temperature.

One thing I've noticed with stainless steel is that if you have hard water, you get some calcium buildup and things stick like crazy. Anytime my stainless steel pans start having problems I soak a bit of vinegar on them for a bit, scrub them, then they are good again.

However my preference is typically cast iron. A good seasoned coating (and a couple decades of use that results in a polished surface) is typically much better than any non-stick I've ever used, but again depending on temperature (get it hot enough but not too hot), and having a lightly wiped on fresh oil coating too.

Re: Study finds link between 'forever chemicals' in cookware and liver cancer

#20

Post by californical »

alfor wrote: post #5
elil17 wrote: post #2

The study didn’t actually find anything related to cookware. Modern Teflon in the US doesn’t expose people to PFOA/PFOS like old version did due to new regulations. The chemicals could also be entering peoples body’s through drinking water or bioaccumulation in meat or plants. You should throw away nonstick cookware from before 2013, but new nonstick cookware sold in the US does not have PFOA. I believe the EU follow…

What is replacing PFOA? Is it something already present in what we eat or is it a ’new’ molecule that living organisms have never seen before?

I am far from an expert, but there are hundreds of extremely similar but slightly modified versions of PFOA that haven’t been proven unsafe, so are still allowed, but they’re all so similar it’s hard to believe that they’ll have different affects.

We’ll see though in another 30-50 years how much they’ve hurt us again!

Some info & includes links to other sources: https://www.consumerreports.org/toxic-chemicals-substances/p...

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