Chefs and home cooks disagree: Is non-stick cookware safe/

California is considering a ban on the sale of non-stick cookware, concerned that it includes chemicals linked to some serious health issues.
Posted 10/10/2025, 10:36:56 PM Updated 10/10/2025, 11:00:09 PM

AND IT'S.

>> WELCOME BACK. THE

CONVERSATION SURROUNDING

FOREVER CHEMICALS IS HEATING UP

ONCE AGAIN. IT'S A TOPIC WE'VE

COVERED EXTENSIVELY FOR YEARS

IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

CALIFORNIA COULD PASS A NEW LAW

BANNING THE SALE OF COOKWARE

CONTAINING FOREVER CHEMICALS,

ESPECIALLY THE NONSTICK POTS

AND PANS THAT YOU USE. BUT IT

CITES KEELY ARTHUR SHOWS US

THE DEBATE OVER PRODUCTS.

MANY OF US USE EVERYDAY.

>> IT'S A HOT DEBATE IN

KITCHENS NATIONWIDE TO USE OR

NOT TO USE NONSTICK COOKWARE.

NICOLE NONSTICK PANS.

>> YEAH, THERE'S NOTHING.

DON'T THINK ABOUT IT WHEN IT

COMES ISOLATE FROM SWITCH OVER

TO ALL STAINLESS STEEL, THERE

ARE STILL WAYS TO USE YOUR TAB.

ONE CAN SAFELY.

>> THE SIZZLING BATTLE COMES

AS CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN

NEWSOM WAY SIGNING A BILL THAT

WOULD BAN THE SALE OF NON STICK

COOKWARE USING CHEMICALS LINKED

TO SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES.

BUT NOW SOME BIG CELEBRITY

CHEFS, INCLUDING RACHEL RAY AND

DAVID CHAIN ARE WEIGHING IN

DEFENDING THE SALE OF COOKWARE

USING THE CHEMICALS. RAY WHO

SELLS HER OWN LINE OF NO STICK

POTS AND PANS, WRITING THE

CHEMICALS WHEN MANUFACTURED IN

USE RESPONSIBLY ARE PROVED TO

BE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE. MANY

OTHER CHEFS DISAGREE, THOUGH,

SAYING THERE ARE BETTER AND

SAFER ALTERNATIVES. WHY NOT

JUST DO A CARBON STEEL, A

STAINLESS STEEL? THAT DOESN'T

INCLUDE NICKEL. A CAST IRON

PAN. THIS IS WILD ALASKAN

SOCKEYE AWARD-WINNING CHEF

ANDREW ZIMMERN SUPPORTS THE

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATION ARGUING.

>> THAT ANY FOREVER CHEMICALS

ALONG OUT OF THE KITCHEN, A

LITTLE PRE HEATING.

>> A LITTLE BIT OF BUTTER OR

OIL AND A LITTLE BIT A WRIST

AND YOU WILL BE MAKING

DELICIOUS FOOD FOR YOUR FAMILY

WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT ANYONE

GETTING CANCER YEARS DOWN.

THE ROAD IS SIGNED INTO LAW.

THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATION

WOULD BAN THE SALE OF THE

DEBATED NONSTICK COOKWARE BY

TWENTY-THIRTY A BAND THAT WOULD

ALSO INCLUDE CERTAIN CLEANING

PRODUCTS, FOOD PACKAGING AND

EVEN DENTAL FLOSS USING THE

CLASS OF CHEMICALS KNOWN AS

PFAS. THE PROPOSED LAW CLAIMS

THAT PFAS ARE A SIGNIFICANT

THREAT TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND

PUBLIC HEALTH. SOME EXPERTS

HAVE FOUND THAT THE CHEMICALS

BARELY DEGRADE IN NATURE AND

THAT COULD ALSO BE THE CASE

INSIDE THE HUMAN BODY, ITS

CARBON AND FLUORIDE THAT ARE

REALLY TIGHTLY BOND TOGETHER.

>> WHICH WORKS REALLY GREAT FOR

THINGS LIKE NON-STICK WATER

REPELLENT.

>> BUT IT ALSO MEANS BECAUSE

IT'S SO TIGHTLY BONDED IS WHEN

IT ENDS UP INTO THE

ENVIRONMENT. IT DOESN'T BREAK

DOWN NONSTICK POTS AND PANS

OFTEN USE TEFLON A BRAND OF A

SPECIFIC TYPE OF PFAS CHEMICAL

AND THEY'VE BEEN STAPLES IN

AMERICAN KITCHENS FOR DECADES.

THE FDA WHICH CURRENTLY

AUTHORIZES THE USE OF PFAS ON

COOKWARE

>> SAYS THE CHEMICAL IN THE

COATING CAN END UP IN YOUR

FOOD, BUT ONLY IN NEGLIGIBLE

AMOUNTS. THE COOKWARE

SUSTAINABILITY ALLIANCE

REPRESENTING A NUMBER OF

COOKWARE MANUFACTURERS SAYS

CONSUMERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO

CHOOSE TO PENALIZE INDIVIDUAL

PRODUCTS WHICH ARE COATED WITH

MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN

TO BE SAFE FOR DECADES.

>> WE THINK IT'S UNFAIR AS THE

DEBATE HITS A BOILING POINT.

ZIMMERN SAYS HE'S STICKING WITH

STEEL AND CAST IRON.

>> THESE PAN'S THE DO NOT.

>> USED HALF LINE OR SIMILAR

COATINGS.

THEY'VE RELEASED FOOD JUST AS

WELL. THEY CLEAN UP JUST AS

WELL. AND THERE ARE ONES THAT

ARE JUST AS INEXPENSIVE.

>> KEELY ARTHUR, 5 ON

YOUR SIDE.

>> MANY SUPPORTERS OF THE BAN

SAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IS

ANOTHER CONCERN, ARGUING THE

CHEMICALS LEAD TO POLLUTION IN

OUR RIVERS AND STREAMS WHERE

THEY CANNOT BE GREAT WRAL'S

DOCUMENTARY TEAM COVERED THE

CONCERNS OVER P FOX AND THE

IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES HERE.

YOU CAN WATCH FOREVER CHEMICALS

NORTH CAROLINA'S TOXIC TAP

WATER RIGHT NOW. IT'S ON WRAL

DOT COM UNDER THE DOCUMENTARY