PFOA's and the Teflon Don [NDC]

Is There an Extra Ingredient in Nonstick Pans?

By MARIAN BURROS

THE question of whether Teflon cookware is safe has moved from Web site
chatter to the courtroom. But more than nonstick frying pans are under
scrutiny these days. Scientists are examining the chemical makeup of other
products like food containers to gauge their potential hazards.

In each instance, the substance being questioned is perfluorooctanoic acid,
or PFOA. Studies have shown that PFOA causes cancer and other health
problems in laboratory animals, and it is under scrutiny by the
Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration.

A class action suit filed last week against DuPont in several states,
including New York, charges that Teflon releases PFOA under normal cooking
use and that the company did not warn consumers about its dangers.

DuPont says that while PFOA is used to make Teflon, none of it remains in
the finished product, and all Teflon-coated cookware is safe.
The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit environmental research and
advocacy organization financed by foundations including the Rockefeller
Family Fund and the Joyce Foundation, says items other than pans are likely
to be the major sources of PFOA. But the group, along with many scientists,
points out a different problem: an empty overheated Teflon-coated pan does
pose a risk by releasing toxic fumes. DuPont does not dispute that, but
there is no agreement between the company and Teflon's critics over what
temperature releases the fumes. The Environmental Working Group says 325
degrees, or a medium flame; DuPont says 660 degrees.

DuPont tells consumers at its Web site that the fumes can injure pet birds
and cause flulike symptoms in humans at "abnormally" high temperatures, a
condition that the company says can last a couple of days. Other reports say
that the fumes can kill birds.

While DuPont defends its Teflon products, other companies are looking into
their use of PFOA.

Several animal studies, including one by the Environmental Protection
Agency, show that fluorotelomers, chemicals used in food packaging as well
as in rugs and clothing, break down into PFOA in the environment and when
ingested.

The Environmental Protection Agency began studying PFOA in 1999 and a draft
report of its findings has been reviewed by an outside science advisory
panel, which has said that PFOA is a likely human carcinogen. The E.P.A.
disagrees and wants to describe it as a suggestive human carcinogen. The
difference is important because if the panel's version is the final version
the finding could call for a human cancer risk assessment. The final report
will be released in the fall.

What troubles the agency, and the Food and Drug Administration, is that PFOA
can be found in the blood of 90 percent of Americans, according to a study
by the 3M Company. Of the 600 children tested, 96 percent had PFOA in their
blood; its source is unknown. Unlike dioxin and a class of chemicals known
as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCB's, which have been banned as suspected
carcinogens, PFOA does not break down, remaining in the environment
indefinitely.

Fluorotelomers are used in microwaveable popcorn bags, in packaging for fast
foods like sandwiches, chicken and French fries, as well as in packaging for
pizza, bakery items, drinks and candy. They are also found in paper plates.
There is currently no way for consumers to tell if packaging contains
fluorotelomers. According to Tim Kropp, a toxicologist with the
Environmental Working Group, "paper plates with a really glossy look
probably don't use it."

The F.D.A. has looked at PFOA in microwaveable popcorn packaging and found
that the chemical migrates to the oil from the packaging during heating. But
George Pauli, associate director for science and policy in the office of
food additive safety at the F.D.A., said the levels found in the microwave
packaging are low. "We don't see anything at this time to say it's a safety
issue," he said. "Food doesn't appear to be a major source."

Dr. Kropp countered: "Any amount of PFOA you are ingesting may be a problem
because we don't know what levels are safe."
Julie DeYoung, a spokeswoman for Phoenix Packaging, a division of ConAgra
Foods, said: "Studies on PFOA are preliminary, but we are taking the issue
seriously and are talking with our paper suppliers about the issue. If the
government tells paper suppliers to make changes, we'll support that."
ConAgra makes Orville Redenbacher's and Act II microwave popcorn and private
label brands.

For those who don't want to wait for definitive answers from the government,
the Environmental Working Group has some suggestions: Use Teflon pans at
lower temperatures, and never put them on the stove to heat without food or
liquid inside. Greasy food that is heated in a microwave oven in a cardboard
container is a potential source of PFOA; take the food out of the container
and heat it in glass or ceramic.

For popcorn in the microwave, the group suggests the following: Place a
quarter-cup of good quality popcorn in a standard brown paper lunch bag; mix
with oil and seasoning; seal the bag with a single staple (one staple does
not contain enough metal to cause a spark) and heat for two to three
minutes. Alton Brown, who cooks on the Food Network, uses this method.

Another solution is to cook the old-fashioned way. If cast iron pans are
seasoned and heated properly, very little oil is needed for browning. Chefs
generally do not use nonstick pans because they do not think they do as good
a job of cooking as cast iron and stainless steel, especially for browning.

Peace,

Sean
--
"Every now and then when your life gets complicated and the weasels start
closing in, the only real cure is to load up on heinous chemicals and then
drive like a *** from Hollywood to Las Vegas." Hunter S. Thompson

My music list for trades: http://db.etree.org/FionaRCB


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