You obviously love to use your non-stick cooking pan to prepare meals. Not only is it ideal for making flawless omelets but also cooking easy-to-flip pancakes coupled with fish to perfection. Even so, you should be aware of what your pans are made of. It would help if you also were concerned with your health. In this article, we shall address some of the major concerns most users have when it comes to the best applications of Teflon wire in cookware.
Let us begin. PTFE and PFOA are human-made chemicals. They are utilized in the manufacture of non-stick cookware. In this guide, you will have a detailed comprehension of both materials, including why they are used in designing cookware. You will also learn why it is crucial to watch your health after investing in PTFE cookware.
As you have learned in our previous series of PTFE, this is a plastic element made of silicon. It also has carbon and fluorine. When looking at the chemical breakdown of this material, every molecule of the element has two carbon atoms coupled with four fluorine atoms. The combination makes up the substance utilized to spray the surface of non-stick pans.
PTFE was initially discovered by Roy Plunkett, a prominent scientist, in 1938. Over the years, it earned its brand name, Teflon. It also became a famous material used in designing non-stick cookware. But this material is not just used for designing cookware. It is also an ideal compound for developing elements in industrial and manufacturing sectors. PTFE, as you have learned in our earlier blog posts, has been revolutionizing lives across the world- it is prominent for its use in automobiles and electronics as well as aerospace in high-tech products. Now that you know why PTFE is used in cookware and why it is the ideal option, it is essential to look at PFOA, its counterpart in the industry.
PFOA is also known as perfluorooctanoic acid. This is also a human-made compound utilized in the manufacture of non-stick cooking pans. It is also used in manufacturing stain-resistant fabrics as well as carpets. You should note that PFOA is used in the production of PTFE. Their chemical composition is different. Over the years, people have raised concerns over the health risks posed by PFOA since it has a way of staying in the body and the environment at large. Several studies have been spearheaded on PFOA’s safety.
Results have indicated that the chemical found within the compound in the present in small amounts in most consumers. People living near water sources that have been contaminated with PFOA are at higher risks of contracting water-borne diseases. Further health studies on PFOA and PTFE indicated that individuals exposed to PFOA’s chemicals are exposed to health issues such as:
- Liver damage
- Testicular cancer
- Blood pressure
This implies that PFOA is not the best coating compound for non-stick cookware.
Take-Home
When PFOA is used in designing non-stick pans, it is often evident that the exposure to consumers is pretty much on the lower side. However, over time, it can contribute to health risks, as indicated above. Teflon is, however, a better coating option since it does not burn off in the cooking process.
