Teflon coated pans give you cancer?

Question

Just wondering, as I've heard various opinions in the news and documentaries...

Is it true that Teflon coated pans can give you cancer...?

Especially the cheaper quality pans...?

Answer 1

What happens is eventually the plastic comes off the pan and goes on the food your eating. In the Teflon coating is your cancerous agent. Also if you keep using the pan a coating of rust will appear on the pan and your also consuming that to which I'm sure is not a healthy thing for you either. If I were you, I would throw out the pan and get yourself a stainless steel one, they cost a bit more, but for health reasons their well worth it.

Answer 2

Despite the widespred hysteria over teflon, there is still no solid scientific evidence that any human being has gotten cancer from coated teflon pans. Even if the pans flake there has been no evidence that they are toxic to humans. Birds, however, can become ill if a pan is left on the stove and basically burns up. But birds can become sick if a non teflon pan burns up too.

This myth was once voted one of the top ten unfounded health scares.

American Council of Science and Health
The Top Ten Unfounded Health Scares of 2004: Teflon Causes Health Problems in Humans
http://www.acsh.org/healthissues/newsID.1017/healthissue_detail.asp

STATS: Checking out the facts and figures behind the news:
F amous author blogs overcooked baloney on Teflon
http://www.stats.org/stories/Nora_Ephron_Teflon.htm

New York Times Teflon Errors
For those keeping up with an endless saga of media inaccuracy
http://www.stats.org/stories/NYT_teflon_errors_feb08_06.htm

Answer 3

Teflon doesn't cause cancer. If any is transferred onto your food, the amount is so miniscule that it can barely be measured. If you still don't want to use Teflon, don't. Just be ready to deal with the inconvinience of non teflon coated pans!

Answer 4

I have to tell you that they are very bad to cook with. If you put baking some and water in a stainless steel pan, and heat it up and taste it, it tastes like normal. Boil that in a teflon pan, and you'll be able to taste it, some call it poison, but that taste will stay in your mouth for a while. It's disgusting. It does this because baking soda pulls the flavor out of the pan, and you can then taste how horrible the teflon really is for you. Some companies warn you to take any small animals, birds ect., out of the kitchen while cooking with teflon, because the poisonious toxins being released into the air, and the animals small lungs, could kill them.

Please check out the website below, ESPECIALLY if you have children and are cooking for them in the teflon pans. I try to let everyone know about how poisonous teflon really is. We immediatly threw ours out and bought stainless steel. There's also Cast Iron or Glass pans that you could switch to. Please stay away from aluminum also, it's pretty much just as bad as teflon.

Answer 5

Yes. I can probably google up a link as fast you can.

We use cast iron, stainless steel and I even bought a Le Creusette (sp?) piece which is enameled cast iron. They're expensive, but nice and they supposed to last forever unless you hit it with a hammer or something and chip it.

I would consider the hard anodized aluminum stuff (cant remember the manufacturer) but aluminum is linked to alzheimers, so...

Answer 6

dont you know that everything gives you cancer? chemicals on fruit, pesticides in fields, smoking, cleaning products, pans coating, sun, and now girls must get treated for cervical cancer before ever having sex because now that causes cancer too.
i was even told last week that heating your house with gas or propane puts fumes in the air that cause cancer, and that burning your trash sends particles in the air that cause cancer too.

best bet is to never eat again, dont have sex, and dont breath. that should almost keep you safe till next week when something new causes cancer.


oh yes lets add lead paint, asbetos.....etc

Answer 7

They don't know. Teflon does come off and go into the food, but most people do not react. Some do and get sick.

Answer 8

Yes if it is cooked off at a higher temperature than intended. Make sure you dont put the pan on high heat and if it gets damaged then toss it. Also dont keep birds or pets aroundthe stove if you are using it.

Answer 9

I don't know.

If overheated or used at normal heat for prolonged periods it can give you an asthma attack.

All nonstick cookware is fatal to birds ie parakeets, parrots, caged birds when overheated from the fumes.

Answer 10

I don't know, but I threw all of mine out many years ago. When chipped and flaked, I figured I didn't want to eat it and there was no other place it could have been except in my food.