Traditional nonstick cookware has a long, ugly history.
While nonstick pans may make it easy to fry eggs with little to no fat, the downsides far outweigh the positives. A lack of regulatory oversight over decades has meant that these “forever chemicals” are present not just in your kitchen but in your drinking water. Want to know how and why these chemicals have become such a pervasive health and environmental issue in the U.S.? Check out our deep dive into the dangers of PFOA and PFAS (and once you’re as skeeved out as we are, our non-toxic, nonstick cookware buying guide is sure to help.)
The best known PFAS chemical is PFOA. While it has been phased out for use in nonstick cookware, there are thousands of other PFAS chemicals still in use today, including Gen X chemicals. While purportedly safer, a lack of adequate testing means that these chemicals are just as murky as their predecessors. And you know what? We don’t want to use our families as guinea pigs.
Related on Organic Authority:
‘Forever Chemicals’ In Your Sparkling Water: Is It Safe to Drink?
4 Clean Cookware Brands to Keep Toxins Out of Your Meals
5 Non-Toxic Bakeware Materials and Our Top Brand Picks