DrBhavani Chandrasekharan
New member
ARE NON-STICK KITCHEN UTENSILS HARMFUL?
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This is a genuine concern from kitchens nowadays.
The advent of ‘non-stick cookware’ has revolutionised kitchen work.Roasting and frying are easier. Food doesn’t get burned to black or stuck to the bottom, hence tasty. Dosa comes out round and papery-thin, even in ill-experienced hands .Oil usage is less which makes food healthier.Cleaning is effortless.Time spent in kitchen is much less.Guests can be welcomed in a confident mood.
But many have been made aware that constant use of non-sticks can lead to cancer, intestinal problems, heart disease and other health issues.Some health-concerned guests knit their brows when they see non-sticks in the host’s kitchen.
Many prefer ‘safer cookware’ that are healthy and durable. Even so, most households have at least one nonstick pan for quickly making something in times of urgent need. While choosing between health and convenience one might look for safe non-stick cookware.
ARE NON STICK VESSELS REALLY BAD ? NO.
Non-stick cookware are steel or aluminium vessels that are coated with a synthetic polymer called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) which gives them a nonstick ( frictionless) surface .PTFE’s brand name is ‘Teflon’.Teflon is not a carcinogenic(cancer causing )chemical.it does not mix with food normally. Of course a cookware which has got scratches due to repeated use for a long time can discharge very small quantities of the chemical which can mix with food.Still, the chemical in such food item does not get absorbed into our blood at all.It just gets excreted.So there need not be a great concern using non-stick cookware items.
A few years back manufacturers of non-stick cookware used a chemical called PFOA ( Perfluoro octanoic acid) in the making of Teflon.PFOA is proven to have adverse health effects causing liver diseases, high levels of cholesterol, poor immune status, thyroid problems, cancer, developmental defects in the baby during pregnancy and so on THOUGH VERY RARELY .So PFOA was banned in many countries.Teflon has been PFOA-free since 2013. Most manufacturers claim their cookware to be PFOA-free and disclose the nature of the non-stick coating they use.Today's non-stick Teflon cookware is considered safe for everyday home cooking.
Even if the non-stick cookware doesn’t have PFOA, we shouldn’t overheat them as PTFE breaks down when heated to above 260 °C ( 500°F) and releases toxic fumes which may cause respiratory problems.While heating oils also, it need not exceed the temperature level at which the oil starts to ‘smoke’.Anyway digestive problems, cancer etc never happen.Normal cooking can be done very well without such excessive heating.
The possibility of overheating can be reduced if the non-stick cookware is thick.Non-stick pans from Hawkins have 3.25 mm thickness,Prestige and Pigeon have 2.8mm and 2.3-3mm thickness respectively.
Claypot or cast iron cookware may be safe but are really cumbersome in the present day life.Food may be tastier if it is cooked without using a pressure cooker or other kitchen gadgets like mixers,grinders,microwaves etc but even the older generation now prefer modern appliances for the ease of it.Firewood fuel,supposed to give the most ideal taste for food, has been replaced long back by cooking gas even in native kitchens.
In short we can buy and use the right non-stick products and have a safe,healthy ,comfortable and easy life.
—————————————————————————-
This is a genuine concern from kitchens nowadays.
The advent of ‘non-stick cookware’ has revolutionised kitchen work.Roasting and frying are easier. Food doesn’t get burned to black or stuck to the bottom, hence tasty. Dosa comes out round and papery-thin, even in ill-experienced hands .Oil usage is less which makes food healthier.Cleaning is effortless.Time spent in kitchen is much less.Guests can be welcomed in a confident mood.
But many have been made aware that constant use of non-sticks can lead to cancer, intestinal problems, heart disease and other health issues.Some health-concerned guests knit their brows when they see non-sticks in the host’s kitchen.
Many prefer ‘safer cookware’ that are healthy and durable. Even so, most households have at least one nonstick pan for quickly making something in times of urgent need. While choosing between health and convenience one might look for safe non-stick cookware.
ARE NON STICK VESSELS REALLY BAD ? NO.
Non-stick cookware are steel or aluminium vessels that are coated with a synthetic polymer called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) which gives them a nonstick ( frictionless) surface .PTFE’s brand name is ‘Teflon’.Teflon is not a carcinogenic(cancer causing )chemical.it does not mix with food normally. Of course a cookware which has got scratches due to repeated use for a long time can discharge very small quantities of the chemical which can mix with food.Still, the chemical in such food item does not get absorbed into our blood at all.It just gets excreted.So there need not be a great concern using non-stick cookware items.
A few years back manufacturers of non-stick cookware used a chemical called PFOA ( Perfluoro octanoic acid) in the making of Teflon.PFOA is proven to have adverse health effects causing liver diseases, high levels of cholesterol, poor immune status, thyroid problems, cancer, developmental defects in the baby during pregnancy and so on THOUGH VERY RARELY .So PFOA was banned in many countries.Teflon has been PFOA-free since 2013. Most manufacturers claim their cookware to be PFOA-free and disclose the nature of the non-stick coating they use.Today's non-stick Teflon cookware is considered safe for everyday home cooking.
Even if the non-stick cookware doesn’t have PFOA, we shouldn’t overheat them as PTFE breaks down when heated to above 260 °C ( 500°F) and releases toxic fumes which may cause respiratory problems.While heating oils also, it need not exceed the temperature level at which the oil starts to ‘smoke’.Anyway digestive problems, cancer etc never happen.Normal cooking can be done very well without such excessive heating.
The possibility of overheating can be reduced if the non-stick cookware is thick.Non-stick pans from Hawkins have 3.25 mm thickness,Prestige and Pigeon have 2.8mm and 2.3-3mm thickness respectively.
Claypot or cast iron cookware may be safe but are really cumbersome in the present day life.Food may be tastier if it is cooked without using a pressure cooker or other kitchen gadgets like mixers,grinders,microwaves etc but even the older generation now prefer modern appliances for the ease of it.Firewood fuel,supposed to give the most ideal taste for food, has been replaced long back by cooking gas even in native kitchens.
In short we can buy and use the right non-stick products and have a safe,healthy ,comfortable and easy life.
