Inside Edition – “I had a fever, sore throat, I was just exhausted,” Jazzmyn Banks tells Inside Edition.
Many people are throwing out their non-stick cookware after growing fears that it will give them what is being called Teflon flu.
America’s Poison Centers says there has been a spike in cases, with 267 reports of Teflon flu last year. Experts say Teflon flu is transmitted when you scrape the bottom of the non-stick Teflon-coated cookware, releasing potentially harmful chemicals that are inhaled into the body.
Eric Cioè Peña, vice president of Northwell’s Center for Global Health tells Inside Edition:
“It’s not an infectious disease like influenza. It’s really a reaction or respiratory illness caused by exposure to these, what are called ‘forever chemicals,’ the big one being PTFE or polytetrafluoroethylene and it causes a respiratory syndrome that’s similar to kind of when you get sick and get the flu.”
Jazzmyn Banks says she recovered from Teflon flu …
How to lower your risk of Teflon flu
Chefs say there are a few things you can do to lower the risk of Teflon flu if you’re cooking with pans that contain PTFE.
Turn on a vent hood or fan.
This is important “anytime you cook,” says Sisavath Keovilay, PhD, chef and baking and pastry university department chair at Keiser University Center for the Culinary Arts. “It’s always good practice to use a vent hood system due to the smoke point of food and the chemicals used to cook the food,” he adds.
A vent hood is important “to recirculate the air in your kitchen when you are cooking because of the fumes and particulates that are created,” says Shawn Matijevich, lead chef-instructor of online culinary arts and food operations at the Institute of Culinary Education. If you don’t have a vent hood that vents outside, opening a window may help.
Turn your vent hood on early, and keep it running.
Matijevich recommends turning the vent hood on before you begin cooking. “Leave it running until about 20 minutes after you are done to be safe,” he says. This will help clear out any odor or fumes that remain, Keovilay says.
Preheat your pan properly
You never want to preheat a Teflon pan without something in it, Matijevich says. “Even if you just start with the butter or oil that you plan to cook your food in, that should be enough to reduce the chances of the coating breaking down,” he explains.
If you’re using a cooking method where preheating to high heat is important, like searing and sautéing, Matijevich recommends using a different type of pan than Teflon …
