It's not just what you cook, it's what you cook in

[Guest guest]

Hearth & Home: Watched Pots

It's not just what you cook, it's what you cook in

By Elizabeth Larsen

 

Sierra Magazine September/October 2004

a publication of the Sierra Club (http://www.sierraclub.org)

 

http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200409/hearth.asp

 

As a working mother who likes to fix dishes a few steps more complicated

than macaroni and cheese, I've picked my cookware based on whether it heats

quickly and sautés evenly. But recent news reports about the potential

hazards of nonstick pots and pans have made me wonder whether my need for

convenience may be putting my family at risk.

 

It's been known for some time that the chemical used to make nonstick

Teflon causes tumors in rats. The EPA has classified the compound,

perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), as carcinogenic to animals. In July, the

agency charged Teflon-maker DuPont with illegally withholding, for up to 20

years, evidence that the chemical posed " substantial risk of injury to

human health or the environment. "

 

Fines may run as high as $300 million. The EPA also wants new studies to

determine whether PFOA could cause thyroid disorders, birth defects, and

cancer. PFOA--released into the air and water during the manufacturing

process--is everywhere: It's been measured in seals in the Caspian Sea, in

Alabama green beans, and in 19 out of 20 American children who were tested.

 

That's scary enough, but I also wanted to know if I was feeding my family

toxic chemicals straight from the skillet. So I contacted Rich Purdy, who

was an environmental scientist at 3M for 19 years. Now an organic farmer

and activist working to curb the use of hazardous chemicals, Purdy says

that when used correctly--never heated beyond a medium setting--Teflon

itself does not pose a threat to human health. " But people are always in a

hurry, " he says. " They heat up to ‘high' and then back off. "

 

When that happens, the polymers in the Teflon can break down and off-gas a

nasty combination of dangerous chemicals. The Environmental Working Group

reports that the surface temperature of a Teflon-coated pan heated on high

for eight minutes on a conventional stove can reach 750 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

At that temperature, the pan could emit fumes that contain not only PFOA

but also tetrafluoroethylene, another known animal carcinogen, and

monofluoroacetic acid, which can be lethal to humans in low doses. At 887

degrees, Teflon releases perfluoroisobutene, a chemical warfare agent.

 

Canary and parrot owners have known for years that the fumes from nonstick

surfaces, heated to as little as 325 degrees, can kill birds. DuPont

acknowledges this fact on its Web site (although it asserts the danger

threshold is 500 degrees) and advises Teflon users to always keep pet birds

out of the kitchen. Scanpan, a popular nonstick titanium brand, also urges

customers to remove birds from the cooking area and to keep the kitchen

well-ventilated.

 

As for the threats to human health, DuPont insists that the fumes from

Teflon are no more harmful than those emitted by overheated oil or butter

and that " there is no evidence indicating adverse health effects related to

low levels of exposure to PFOA. " But Purdy is skeptical. " Fumes that are

killing birds are affecting you, " he says. (Dupont also contends that

Teflon flakes pass right through the body, and so cause no harm, but the

Environmental Working Group, which has conducted extensive research on

Teflon, is not aware of any data that supports this claim.)

 

The fact that a possible carcinogen had been hanging on my cooking rack

caused me to question my other cookware. Was my enamel casserole releasing

toxic chemicals into my family's dinners? It turns out that any enamelware

with a red, orange, or yellow glaze is likely to contain cadmium.

 

In addition to causing unappetizing things like vomiting, nausea, liver

injury, and renal failure, researchers at the Lombardi Cancer Center at

Georgetown University have determined that exposure to cadmium may be a

direct risk factor for developing breast cancer. The United States strictly

regulates cadmium, but problems arise when you go to Mexico or other

countries and buy some of that gorgeous crockery that uses a cadmium color

on the interior. To be safe, buy only the enamelware that is white or cream

on the inside.

 

I next turned my attention to my cast-iron skillet and found that the

pioneers had it right: Helen Brittin, a professor of food and nutrition at

Texas Tech University, assured me that cooking with cast iron adds

significant levels of iron to the foods that are prepared in them. Too much

iron can be poisonous, but for iron-poor North Americans, it's often a

healthy bonus. Stainless steel is also a safe choice, although not for

people who are allergic to nickel.

 

( Moderator's Note: Although iron cookware is a good choice for some it isn't a

good choice for all as many people in the USA have been shown to have too much

iron in their bodies and it is making them sick. I also would never use aluminum

whether it was anodized or not. I personally do not know if it causes

Alzheimer's or not but I do know that aluminum is toxic to the body. Also,

similar researchers have been telling us for years that all of the wonderfull

things that the major industries sell to us are great only to find out that they

were lieing to us. I personally try to use only stainless steel or tempered

glass.)

 

 

Anodized aluminum, the metal used by Calphalon and other brands of high-end

cookware, is also safe because it doesn't scratch as easily as cheaper

brands and is nonreactive to highly acidic foods such as tomatoes and

citrus products. At least you needn't worry that using aluminum products

will increase your chances of getting Alzheimer's disease.

 

In the 1960s, researchers announced that elevated levels of the element

were found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. But since then the link

between the two has been repeatedly disproved. " Aluminum is the Elvis

Presley of Alzheimer's, " says Dr. David Knopman, an M.D. in the Neurology

Department and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the Mayo Clinic in

Rochester, Minnesota. " For some reason the idea that they are related just

won't die. " I'm sure I'm not the only cook who is delighted to bury that

connection for good.

 

Now that I don't have to worry that my cookware is harming my family, I can

focus on expanding my children's dinner repertoire past roast chicken and

mashed potatoes.

 

Elizabeth Larsen is a Minneapolis-based writer.

 

On The Web: See the Environmental Working Group's site at www.ewg.org; the

EPA's fact sheet on PFOA at www.epagov/opptintr/pfoa/pfoafcts.pdf; and

DuPont's site at www.teflon.com.