The recent trends towards healthy living and environmentally-friendly consumerism have been spurred by the ever-evolving knowledge coming out of the food industry, chemical industry, and consumer product industry. Think about it the next time you see an organic, fairtrade, gluten-free, unprocessed, grass-fed, omega-3, wild caught scallop. What do these labels actually mean? Where did they come from?
The answer is probably not as simple as it seems.
Take, for example, the story behind Teflon, PFOA, and a certain chemical giant. The New York Times has an excellent piece if you are interested in learning more. Here is the summary:
PFOA is a chemical used to support the application of Teflon (for stain resistant, waterproof, and nonstick products)
The chemical industry has been aware of the dangers associated with PFOA for decades
They continued to dump PFOA into public waters despite this knowledge
An independent research team determined there is a link between PFOA and certain diseases (like thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, and some forms of cancer)
Production of PFOA has stopped, but similar compounds are still in production
PFOA is now present all over the world
In truth, the story behind PFOA is probably not uncommon. The reason stories like these are so important is that they spark change. Maybe not in the way big companies do business, but in the way consumers shop for products.
The cookware industry has been associated with PTFE and PFOA for a long time. For many years, it was the only viable solution for creating a nonstick cooking surface. When you consider that nonstick cookware is the largest segment in the cookware industry in terms of retail sales, you can imagine how important it is to address public concerns.
Thus we arrive at our destination: ceramic coating. Recent innovations in ceramic coating have yielded high-quality nonstick performance without using PTFE or PFOA. For the first time, consumers have a choice when it comes to buying nonstick cookware. They can choose to protect themselves and the environment by investing in ceramic coating.
We encourage you to find out more about ceramic coating, and our patented Ecolon coating. For now, it is important to note that the absence of PTFE and PFOA is a factor to consider when buying cookware products. Cookware is the medium that takes food and turns it into a meal. It is often used on a daily basis. Do not risk your health, or the health of your loved ones. Take a good look at the label, and always look for “no PTFE/PFOA”.
