Shannan’s Journey

The Most Popular Bakeware Should Be Avoided Like the Plague

Teflon is one of the most popular bakeware materials in America. Teflon and other non-stick brand names comprise up to 77% of the entire bakeware market.

So what’s wrong with it?

Well, for starters, Teflon is made from perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a synthetic chemical used in production that creates the soap-like slipperiness and non-stick finish.

Once heated, Teflon and other non-stick bakeware will quickly reach temperatures at which toxic fumes release into the air. And it doesn’t take much heat to do this – the coating begins to break down and release toxins at a temperature of only 446° F.

PFOA has become very controversial because of potential health dangers…

In animal studies, PFOA posed health hazards like:

• Serious changes in organs including the brain, prostate, liver, thymus, and kidneys, showing toxicity.
• Death of several rat pups due to PFOA exposure.
• Changes in the pituitary in female rats, at all doses. Changes in the size of the pituitary indicate toxicity.
• PFOA contributed to tumor growth in at least four different organs in animal tests, and indicated in an increase in prostate cancer in PFOA plant workers.

Now the various PFOA doses used in these animal experiments weren’t necessarily the same exposure levels you might get from Teflon. But they clearly show the potential danger from PFOA.

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Here’s a Foolproof Way to Help You Find the Safest and

Healthiest Bakeware Out There

There is simply no need to expose your family to unnecessary health risks of exploding glass cookware or inhaling dangerous fluoride compounds from Teflon bakeware.

I’ve put together a simple checklist you can use to not only help you find a replacement for your hazardous glass bakeware, but also to help you find the overall healthiest choice for you and your family.

Your bakeware and baking appliances must:

•  Thoroughly demonstrate they can withstand extreme temperature changes without shattering or exploding – you must be able to move your bakeware appliance from your oven… to the countertop… and into your freezer without shattering
•  Prove to be non-toxic to you and your family – avoid baking appliances that produce chemicals, toxins, gases, or leach metals into your food
•  Be attractive in your kitchen and offer a variety of shapes and sizes to handle your baking needs
•  Bake your food consistently and thoroughly
•  Save you as much energy as possible through efficient baking, and is easy on the environment
•  Be durable and strong, yet lightweight for easy handling in and out of your oven and around your kitchen
•  Save you time in preparing meals and clean up

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 at 8:49 am and is filed under Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.