Will the coating on the non-stick pan be toxic if it has any health effects?

In the past, chefs used the method of heating the pan and heating oil in order to avoid sticking to the pan when cooking food. To this day, some chefs still use this method, but it is not applicable in the family. The advent of non-stick pans has brought convenience to most families. But it also brings up questions: Is the coating on the non-stick pan harmful? If it falls, will it produce toxins?

Before answering this question, we must first know what the coating on the non-stick pan is.

At present, the coating of non-stick pan is divided into two materials: Teflon and ceramic coating. Teflon coating is mainly fluoropolymer, which is also called "plastic". The original component is polytetrafluoroethylene, which has the reputation of "Plastic King" and has the characteristics of chemical corrosion resistance and aging resistance. Later, with the improvement of PTFE, it also began to be used in various products such as pots and pans. Ceramic coating, the main component is silicon dioxide. Silica is a natural inorganic product. It is used on the inner wall of pots and pans. The particles of the material can reach the nanometer level and will not produce toxic substances.

At present, the most controversial issue about non-stick pans is whether fluoropolymer non-stick pans are toxic?

Although stainless steel non-stick pans and ceramic non-stick pans are constantly developing and innovating, fluoropolymer non-stick pans still dominate the market. Under normal temperature conditions, the non-stick pan coating will not release toxic substances. Since cooking requires heating, whether heating will cause the fluoropolymer to decompose requires attention.

The decomposition temperature of PTFE is 350°C, and it becomes unstable at 260°C. So when cooking, as long as the temperature is within 260°C, no toxic substances will be released.

At the same time, the normal cooking temperature is actually within 200°C, even if the cooking oil is heated to smoke, the smoke point is between 200-250°C. Therefore, the non-stick pan coating will not release toxic substances when cooking, even if it is fried food. But the "dry pan" situation must be avoided! If you dry the pan, it will cause the coating to decompose when the temperature is too high, and the decomposed coating at this time will be harmful to the human body. According to data, if you inhale the smoke from the burning of the non-stick pan coating, it may cause headaches, fever, and coughing.

Will the coating be harmful to people?

Although the non-stick pan coating has good corrosion resistance, it is easy to peel off. The use of metal balls, iron spoons, spatulas, etc. may cause the coating to fall off. However, due to the strong stability of the non-stick pan coating, even if it falls off, a small amount of the coating is eaten into the stomach, it will not affect the health and will be completely excreted. But when the coating falls off, we do not recommend using such a pot. On the one hand, such pots and utensils are not easy to clean, and on the other hand, they avoid eating more coatings.