Should you worry about safety of non-stick cookware?

If you have non-stick pots and pans in your kitchen, you might be worried about whether they're safe to use.

Common concerns are usually focused on the use of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the coatings of non-stick cookware.

These substances, which have been dubbed "forever chemicals" because they take so long to break down, have been used in many household products, including waterproof clothes and anti-staining products for fabrics and carpets.

So, if you have some old non-stick pots and pans, can you safely keep using them?

What are the concerns about non-stick pans?

Many non-stick pots and pans are coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a type of PFAS, which is commonly known by the brand name Teflon.

Oliver Jones, a professor of chemistry at RMIT, says PTFE is used because of its toughness and non-stick characteristics.

He says PTFE-coated non-stick pans are safe to use but shouldn't generally be used to cook food at very high temperatures.

When these pans are heated above 260 degrees Celsius, their PTFE coating can begin to deteriorate. But the coating does not significantly degrade until temperatures reach 349C, Professor Jones says.

"They have done some studies on the fumes that can come off if you heat Teflon up, but the temperatures you need are very high, generally higher than the smoke points of most oils," Professor Jones says.

"So, unless your oil starts smoking, you're not getting to that temperature and even then, you need continued exposure to see any effects, which are usually minor in humans.

"And that’s assuming you weren’t using an extractor fan or other form of ventilation while cooking."

Should you worry about cooking with a scratched non-stick pan?

Another concern is that we could be exposed to PFAS when food is cooked in damaged or scratched non-stick cookware.

Professor Jones says there has been little research on the effects of ingesting "forever chemicals" from scratched or damaged cookware. However, because Teflon is inert, even if the coating does flake off, it shouldn't be harmful, Professor Jones says.

Nevertheless, he says it's sensible to avoid using damaged non-stick pots and pans as a precaution.

"If you accidentally swallowed flakes of Teflon, I'm pretty sure they would pass straight through you," Professor Jones says.

"But if you wanted to be on the safe side, if you had the lining coming off the pan, it's probably time to replace it."

If you're looking for an alternative, you can try cookware made from other materials like stainless steel, cast-iron or copper. You can also use wooden cooking utensils on Teflon pans rather than metal ones to avoid scratching them.

Some companies also sell products with non-stick ceramic coatings that don't contain PFAS.

Why PTFE isn’t considered a 'chemical of concern' for humans

While some chemicals in the PFAS family have been found to be toxic to animals and humans, the Australian government's PFAS Taskforce says PTFE is non-toxic.

Also, unlike some other PFAS chemicals, PTFE doesn't dissolve in water and isn't metabolised, meaning your body won't absorb it.

As a result, Australian regulators do not consider PTFE/Teflon to be a chemical of concern to human health or the environment.

PFOA was historically used in the process to make Teflon, but the government's PFAS Taskforce says it should not be present in PTFE/Teflon products:

It is important to emphasise that PFOA is not an ingredient in Teflon — it is simply added to the reaction vessel to help make Teflon, and is removed at the end of the process.

Therefore, Teflon should not contain PFOA.

There are strict standards in place to help ensure that Teflon does not contain PFOA.

Why it's almost impossible to avoid PFAS

Professor Nicholas Buckley from the University of Sydney chaired the expert health panel that advised the Australian government on the potential health impacts of PFAS exposure.

Because PFAS is found just about everywhere in the environment, it's nearly impossible to completely avoid, he says.

"We're talking, really, very small amounts — parts per trillion in the environment and the water. It could just be in dust in your home, if you have an old home, or it might be in the food you're eating," he says.

"[PFAS] break down so slowly, they're just everywhere in very, very low amounts."

While headlines about PFAS are concerning, Professor Buckley says issues like air pollution should be of far greater concern than potential PFAS exposure from pots and pans.

"I have zero concerns about this stuff on a personal level," he says.

"Air pollution is a much more important environmental health concern, on bad days it causes large increases in heart disease and lung disease, even in a relatively unpolluted country like Australia."

Professor Jones has a similar view.

"I don't think that [PFAS from pots and pans] is going to be causing a problem in terms of health," he says.

"It is worth researching and keeping an eye on … but if you wanted a health intervention, there's probably other ways you could do it that would have a good impact [such as] more exercise, more activity and less alcohol."