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[–]Optimus85 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

From Wikipedia: "While PTFE(Polytetrafluoroethylene) is stable and nontoxic at lower temperatures, it begins to deteriorate after the temperature of cookware reaches about 260 °C (500 °F), and decomposes above 350 °C (662 °F).[58] The degradation by-products can be lethal to birds,[59] and can cause flu-like symptoms[60] in humans—see polymer fume fever. Meat is usually fried between 204 and 232 °C (399 and 450 °F), and most oils start to smoke before a temperature of 260 °C (500 °F) is reached, but there are at least two cooking oils (refined safflower oil at 265 °C (509 °F) and avocado oil at 271 °C (520 °F)) that have a higher smoke point." Even so, there doesn't seem to be much data available on the long-term effects of this chemical considering that many people use skillets, pans, woks covered with this substance on an almost daily basis over the span of many years until the Teflon(TM) starts flaking off the pan... Final edit: Oh, it's PFOA. Crap.