Eating Green: Non-Toxic Pans

Ingredients:

• Carrots
• Onions
• Celery
• Teflon

...Definitely not a recipe anyone would readily try but the unfortunate truth is that if you're cooking with a non-stick pan, you're very likely to be adding that to your recipe.

Non-stick surfaces are, according to the Environmental Working Group, aluminum pans coated with a synthetic called polytetrafluoroetheylene (PTFE), also known as Teflon.

This chemical is what allows things to slide off your pan so easily and while convenient, also puts off toxic fumes at high temperatures that are so terrible, they can potentially kill pet birds and cause people to exhibit flu-like symptoms (called "Teflon Flu" or, as scientists describe it, "Polymer fume fever"). And while ingesting particles that flake off scratched non-stick cookware isn't toxic because solid PTFE flakes are inert, I really have no interest in cooking on something that has the potential to kill a bird - that certainly would not bode well with young children.

What's worse, perfluorochemicals aren't just in pans - they can be found everywhere from carpets to clothing (For more information, see EWG's "Guide to PFCs" http://www.ewg.org/files/EWG_pfcguide.pdf) so we recommend staying away from this altogether.

So what are the best options to make sure that your kitchen is not a biohazard? Choose stainless steel, iron, or copper-coated cookware. Another great product is GreenPan and it's PTFE-free so the coating on it (Thermalon) doesn't release toxic fumes. Also, the process, unlike Teflon, does not use PFOA (PerFluoroOctanoic Acid), classified as a persistent pollutant of the environment and a likely human carcinogen.

These options may be more expensive, so it might mean only having a small number of pots and pans but you'll be able to build your new cookware collection over time and these types of cookware last much longer than anything you would get with Teflon anyway. The best part is, these pans actually cook better and make foods and flavors develop with more depth. (And I don't think I've ever seen Mario Batali with a Teflon pan.)

Don't forget to check back next week for our discussion of non-toxic food storage options.