Teflon

Is Teflon toxic?

We have all heard about it – but is Teflon really as harmful as people say? We get to the bottom of the question and look at the most common opinions.

Structural formula of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

What is Teflon?

Teflon is a synthetic polymer, in other words a plastic. Also called PTFE, the material is known for its non-stick properties. Discovered by the chemist Roy Plunkett, it made a name for itself in pans, cookware and even as a coating for clothing.

Since (environmental) sustainability is RePan’s first priority, we did a lot of research and talked to experts. Our conclusion: Teflon’s toxicity is a myth – but one with a history.

1. The history

How Teflon pans are made

PTFE-coated pans have been used daily all over the world since 1955. Those were different times – and that is where the rumour that Teflon is harmful comes from.

Imagine a material that hardly sticks to anything and resists oil, water, acids and alkalis, even when hot. How do you attach it to another material, let alone metal? Exactly: with a lot of chemistry.

2. The toxicity

PFOA, GenX, APEO – the culprits

It wasn’t the material itself that was toxic, but the processing aids used back then. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), for example, used to be a key ingredient in making Teflon. It has long been banned in Europe. PFOA and similar substances are not only harmful to health or carcinogenic, they were also discharged directly into rivers (as told in the film “Dark Waters”, 2019).

Today, Teflon pans are made by building up layers step by step with strictly tested processing aids that are much easier to filter out.

Prof. Dr Thomas Vilgis
Physicist at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz

Drawbacks

PTFE has weaknesses too – nothing serious

Overheating and Teflon fumes

Above 300 °C, Teflon starts to break down and releases fumes that can cause so-called Teflon flu with flu-like symptoms. But that only happens when a pan is forgotten on the hob without food or oil. The worst case on record: two days of fever – the person had fallen asleep while cooking (Shimizu T, 2012).

Table salt is more toxic than Teflon

Heat an empty pan above 300 °C for a long time and breathe in the fumes, and you get a fever. Do the same with ordinary table salt and you produce far more toxic chlorine gases. If you never overheat an empty pan, you have nothing to worry about.

Impact on the environment

What is produced also has to be disposed of, and some of it ends up in the environment. Here the advantage turns into a drawback: PTFE doesn’t react with food, the body or nature – but it also breaks down very slowly. A pan coating contains about 2 grams of PTFE. 2000-year-old Roman pottery in the ground doesn’t harm anyone either, does it?

2 g of coating instead of 1 kg of metal

Melting 1000 g of metal with lots of fossil energy to make new pans in the Far East is far worse than a fraction of the old coating ending up in nature. And when the old coating is removed, the residue can be destroyed in a controlled way – something normal metal recycling doesn’t do.

Alternatives

Teflon compared

Stainless steel

Uncoated pans can last a lifetime, can be cleaned with steel wool and don’t scratch. But they need lots of oil, and meat or vegetables tend to stick even in a well-preheated pan. Forget about frying fish.

“Ceramic”

In our view the weaker option: the non-stick effect relies on silicone oils that wash out quickly – which is why we find so many almost-new ceramic pans in the scrap. And silicone breaks down in nature just as poorly as PTFE.

Cast iron

Lasts a lifetime and is non-stick if well oiled and seasoned. Don’t clean it with soap. Heavier than other pans, but once you learn to handle it, you’ll make the crispiest rösti – with enough oil.

Enamel

Very hard, but almost everything sticks and the layer can chip. Sadly, even cast iron pans are enamelled today – better skip that, because untreated the pan lasts a lifetime.

Teflon

The all-rounder: easy to clean, fish, crêpes and fried eggs hardly stick. Don’t use knives, metal spatulas or scouring sponges. Washed by hand, the coating lasts longer, because regeneration salt and tablets attack it.

Conclusion

Recoat instead of throwing away

For most kitchens, PTFE is the most practical coating. And when it wears out, the pan doesn’t have to go in the bin: we recoat it, with a coating free from PFOA, APEO, GenX and BPA. Makes sense, right?

Frequently asked questions

No. PTFE itself is inert: it reacts neither with food nor with the body. What was toxic were former processing aids such as PFOA, which are now banned in Europe.

Reusable box

The most convenient way to recoat

We send you a prepaid reusable box. Fill it with everything that needs recoating and simply leave the box at your front door.

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