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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

#51
post #47
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Notably, PFAS are in the food supply chain to a significant and non transparent degree. Those compostable fiber salad bowls are up to 25% PFAS. The extruders that make your dried pasta and other machine parts that make other processed foods are coated with PFAS. The paper that your sandwich is packed in is coated with PFAS. The paper straw that replaced your plastic one, to save the turtles...is coated with PFAS. Did…

> Did you really think a cardboard straw could hold up for more than a few seconds in a cup of liquid without some type of coating?? Maybe everyone just assumes it's a relatively harmless wax coating like ye old Dixie cups and not some "forever chemical?"

Yes. And coated cups like the kind you get for coffee don't use wax anymore (and if they do it's petroleum derived paraffin). They are more likely to use a high-temp polymer

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

#52
post #51
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Did you really think a cardboard straw could hold up for more than a few seconds in a cup of liquid without some type of coating?? Maybe everyone just assumes it's a relatively harmless wax coating like ye old Dixie cups and not some "forever chemical?"

Yes. And coated cups like the kind you get for coffee don't use wax anymore (and if they do it's petroleum derived paraffin). They are more likely to use a high-temp polymer

Paraffin is what most people are thinking of when someone uses the term "wax". I don't think there's an inherent problem there.

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

#53

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.

Not really. And I say this as someone who owns and frequently cooks with stainless steel, cast iron, and non-stick, I have for decades and also worked in a professional kitchen at one point. Some things are always better in stainless or cast iron... I tend towards meats in cast iron and veggies in stainless, though it really depends. Other things are easiest in nonstick, but can be learned in stainless, like eggs sun…

I think that's a fair point.

I don't cook anything that causes me a problem using stainless steel but I accept there may be cases where non-stick is essential.

My earlier point could be expanded to:

Make stainless steel your primary cookware and only fall back to a non-stick option when absolutely necessary. In doing so, you're risking far less exposure than someone who uses that stuff for everything they cook.

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

#54

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.

Not really. And I say this as someone who owns and frequently cooks with stainless steel, cast iron, and non-stick, I have for decades and also worked in a professional kitchen at one point. Some things are always better in stainless or cast iron... I tend towards meats in cast iron and veggies in stainless, though it really depends. Other things are easiest in nonstick, but can be learned in stainless, like eggs sun…

> it's not like frying eggs is ever any easier in cast iron than it is in stainles

It’s significantly easier to fry eggs on seasoned cast iron vs stainless. I routinely use both.

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

#55

They're finding PFAS in everything now. https://www.consumerreports.org/bottled-water/pfas-in-bottle... https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7gban/rainwater-everywhere-... https://www.dcourier.com/news/2022/aug/11/prescott-valley-sh...

I just read that rainwater around the world is unsafe to drink because of PFAS contamination. https://phys.org/news/2022-08-rainwater-unsafe-due-chemicals...

Rainwater pretty much distills itself as it evaporates. I didn’t read the article but it seems like they’d new some new physics to get it into rain.

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

#56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just read that rainwater around the world is unsafe to drink because of PFAS contamination. https://phys.org/news/2022-08-rainwater-unsafe-due-chemicals...

.

Can be purified. Activated charcoal filters are not the most efficient solution, but work reasonably well and can be easily built in an off-grid environment

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

#57

Cast iron pans are cheap, will outlive you, and work nearly as well with enough seasoning / butter :)

Yup. Chefs rarely use nonstick cookware outside of baking or specifically making omelettes. For the majority of their uses, it's either stainless, cast iron, or enameled cast iron. Non-stick got its foothold when the feds went on their "fat is bad for you" kick. They took all the fat out and added sugar to products to fix the texture. Proteins stick to steel when the steel isn't sufficiently hot before food is placed…

> Chefs rarely use nonstick cookware outside of baking or specifically making omelette.

Citation needed? It sounds implausible to me that a majority of professional cooks seek to make their own job harder when they've got seven other dishes to make by tending a nonnonstick pan.

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

#58
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…

There are tons of cheap chinese cookware on amazon that probably still uses older Teflon. There is no way this can be regulated. I'll stick with iron skillet.

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

#59

For those looking for an alternative, carbon steel pans are stamped or spun from steel sheets and are seasoned like cast iron, but are typically thinner and have longer handles. These have been a game changer for my home cooking and I never heard of them until recently. I highly recommend getting a small one for your morning eggs. De Buyer is a popular high quality brand.

Health issues aside, speaking as someone who uses only carbon steel and stainless steel cookware, I still wouldn’t recommend it for most people. It’s a lot of work just to maintain and learn how to work with these pans.

That being said, I love how much more forgiving, durable, and long lasting these pans are compared to Teflon coated pans and I’ll never go back.

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

#60

Cast iron pans are cheap, will outlive you, and work nearly as well with enough seasoning / butter :)

I love cast iron for certain things but keep in mind you can’t cook acidic foods in them. They also don’t allow for much finesse.
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