Minnesotans May Unknowingly Have This Dangerous Item In Their Cupboard

I'd like for you to take a second or two and think to yourself what's something you use probably every day in some capacity, and probably also something that you don't think too much about. Your pans. If you have a non-stick pan in your house, you could be putting your health and your family's health at risk.

The reason there is some worry surrounding pans again is that many non-stick pans contain a type of chemical that is known as a 'forever chemical'. According to Yahoo! Life:

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Nonstick pans have been a subject of concern because they contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in their coatings. PFOA is a type of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) compound.

Yahoo! Life went on to state that you shouldn't just toss all of your pans.

If you have a traditional nonstick pan made before 2015, it’s best to toss it, as there is a chance it contains PFOAs. However, even if you purchased your pan after 2015, it is possible it still contains PFAS. But does that mean you should toss out your nonstick pans?

If you are concerned by potential chemicals leaking into your food, they say the safest bet is to not purchase a pan that is marketed as nonstick, and choose cast iron or carbon steel.

A. Daniel Jones, professor of biochemistry at Michigan State University, told Yahoo Life that there are “no studies documenting a significant risk to health arising from the use of nonstick pans.” PFAS are also everywhere, he notes, explaining that exposure to them in everyday life comes from much more than just cookware. “Virtually everyone already has significant amounts of PFAS in our blood and tissues, with most of this coming from contaminated drinking water, contamination in certain foods and food packaging materials, dusts, and an assortment of other consumer products”.

What might be the most concerning for some people is that we are still learning what these forever chemicals are doing to our health, so more research and studies need to be done.