US grapples with record levels of little-known illness ‘Teflon flu’ spread through everyday household appliances

Toxic fumes from burning non-stick pans sent a record number of Americans to the hospital in 2023.

Data shows that in 2023, more than 250 patients were admitted with the little-known condition called “Teflon flu,” which causes fever, body aches and chills.

According to researchers at the U.S. Poison Control Center, the number of cases is likely at its highest since 2000. They say the condition is rarely diagnosed because it is so difficult to distinguish from other common illnesses.

When used properly, these pans are harmless, but many consumers are unsure about how to properly care for nonstick pans, raising safety concerns, warns Julie Weber, director of the Missouri Poison Center.

Teflon flu can cause headaches, body aches, fever, chills and shivers, officials say. Sometimes symptoms develop immediately, other times they take hours

Teflon flu occurs when a person inhales fumes from a non-stick pan made with PTFE, causing burns.

“A lot of it comes down to someone not paying attention, following instructions and using things the right way,” Ms. Weber said The Washington Post.

In the past few decades, there have only been 3,600 suspected cases of polymer fume fever. In 2023, the highest number of cases in decades was recorded, and researchers don’t know why. This underscores the need to raise awareness about how to best use these pots and pans.

The global non-stick cookware market was valued at $1.7 billion in 2017 up from $1.3 billion in 2010. This suggests that more people will buy the pans over time.

Polymer fume fever occurs when nonstick cookware is heated to over 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius). This causes the chemicals in the coating to break down and release them in clouds of fumes. Inhaling these causes coughing, body aches, fever, and chills.

The non-stick coating is made of “forever chemicals,” PFAS, which lodge deep in the body where they can’t be broken down. Because the condition is rare, scientists aren’t exactly sure how it works, but it’s possible that the irritation the chemicals cause in the lungs leads to flu-like symptoms.

PFAS have also been linked to health problems such as cancer, infertility and pregnancy complications.

Sometimes the symptoms of “Teflon flu” develop immediately after a person inhales the particles, but sometimes it takes hours for the symptoms to appear.

This makes it difficult to report the condition.

“That’s why they say, don’t heat your Teflon pan too hot,” Zac Hudson, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of British Columbia, told The Washington Post.

Teflon is a brand name for a specific type of non-stick coating. It is the most well-known brand, but many other types of non-stick pans that do not contain a non-stick coating have the same problem.

These are all made from a chemical called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). PTFE is one of many types of PFAS.

If you come into contact with a small amount of these chemicals once, it will not do any harm.

But if you use products containing PFAS every day for years, the chemicals can build up in your body.

PFAS have also been found in water supplies, cleaning products and food packaging in some areas, authorities said. Council for the Defence of Natural Resources.

The amount of PFAS a person is exposed to from nonstick cookware is likely lower than the amount a person is exposed to from other sources, said Dan Jones, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and associate director of the Center for PFAS Research at Michigan State University.

“Most of us who work in this field would say it’s probably a very small portion,” he told The Washington Post.

Experts recommend always heating your non-stick pans with butter, oil or water in them to prevent overheating and break down the chemicals in the coating.

Manufacturers and scientists claim that these pans are safe when used properly.

But people easily misuse them. Six scientists who spoke to The Washington Post even said they don’t use them at all.

Incorrect use includes exposing the pans to temperatures higher than 260 degrees Celsius, scratching the surface with metal kitchen utensils and using the pans in the oven or dishwasher.

If you overheat the pan, the chemicals in the coating will break down, releasing the chemicals into the air as white smoke. If you scratch the pan, small pieces of PTFE can also flake off, ending up in your food.

However, Ian Cousins, an environmental chemist and professor at Stockholm University, told The Washington Post that eating these flakes is probably not dangerous.

The PTFE chemicals are large and chemically difficult for our bodies to break down, meaning they are likely to pass through your body without any effect, Professor Cousins ​​explains.

“I wouldn’t really worry about it. It just goes through your body,” he said, warning that breathing the fumes should still be avoided at all costs.

In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stated that nonstick pans “do not pose a safety risk to consumers.”

One of the easiest ways to prevent your cookware from overheating and creating gas is to make sure you add butter or oil to your pan before heating it, says Lisa McManus, the executive editor of America’s Test Kitchen. told CNET.

Ms McManus said using fat in the pan ‘can cause an invisible build-up on the surface of the pan and create a barrier between your food and the non-stick coating when heated directly.’

If you don’t want a non-stick coating at all, Ms. McManus recommends using a ceramic, stainless steel or cast iron pan instead.