Isn't That Teflon in Your Microwave Popcorn?
Glenn Evers, a former DuPont Co. engineer, has accused the
chemical giant of deliberately ignoring evidence that its
grease-resistant coating on paper products may have been
entering consumers' blood at high levels.
PFOA
Evers first became concerned about the health effects of a
perfluorinated chemical used for food packaging in 1987, when
company tests showed it was dissolving into wet paper at much
higher levels than the FDA had approved. When the paper coating
is dissolved and absorbed into the human body, it breaks down
into perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a likely carcinogen.
DuPont has denied Evers's allegations, The FDA will also soon
decide how much to fine DuPont for failing to report for more
than 20 years' possible health effects associated with PFOA.
Millions of Bags of Popcorn
Meanwhile, an FDA study has revealed that PFOA could be present
in millions of bags of microwave popcorn. This alone could
account for over 20 percent of the PFOA levels present in the
average U.S. citizen.
Most Americans have 4-5 parts per billion of PFOA in their
blood; the source has been largely unknown. Products such as
nonstick cookware such as Teflon pans, which are produced by a
process that uses PFOA, are thought to play a role.
Fluorotelomer Coatings
The FDA found that microwave popcorn bags are treated with more
grease-repelling fluorotelomer coatings than any other food
wrappers. Many of these coatings contain mixtures of long-chain
chemicals that can be metabolized to PFOA.
A significant amount of the fluorotelomers transferred from the
bags to the popcorn oil. Microwave popcorn bags are particularly
dangerous, because not only is the amount of fluorotelomers in
the coatings is high, but because popcorn bags get very hot,
heating to more than 200 degrees Celsius in a short time. This
significantly increases the chances of the fluorotelomers
entering the food itself.
Environmental Science and Technology November 16,
2005Washington Post November 17, 2005
Dr. Mercola's Comment:Maybe you have the impression of Teflon
that I used to have. How could anything so pervasive and useful
possibly be harmful? If it were the government certainly would
not allow this on the market. Besides, it is just too diffcult
and time wasting to stop using non-stick pans.
Well, if this is your current thought process, time to
reconsider. I first started becoming alerted to this problem a
few years ago and then earlier this year Gary Craig reported
amazing anecdotal improvements for a chronic health problem once
he threw away his Teflon pans. Then we started receiving many
other similar reports.
What really seals this issue is the federal government nailed
DuPont late last month for LYING about Teflon. They knew it
caused health problems for many years but never told the truth
about. The government is now deciding if they will fine them 1/3
of a billion dollars for not reporting that Teflon posed
substantial risk of injury to health or the environment.
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) -- the dangerous chemical used to
make Teflon -- can be difficult to avoid, as it likely coats
both the non-stick cookware with which you prepare meals and the
paper plates you use to eat them.
Fortunatelymany are starting to pay attention to this; Evers
testimony in a recent trial may have pushed his former company
to settle with thousands of Ohio and West Virginia residents
whose tap water had been contaminated with PFOA.
Aside from the issue of not using anything in the microwave, it
is probably best to avoid grains like corn asit will raise your
insulin levels.Additionally, nearly all corn is genetically
modified.
Your best protection against PFOA is to throw away those
non-stick pans and avoid them elsewhere as much as you can. But,
if you must continue to use them, avoid doing so at high heatas
that will volatilize this potentially dangerous chemical.
It also sounds like it's a good idea to stay away from microwave
popcorn. So, if you're looking for healthier snacks for your
family to munch on during the holidays, you'll want to review
Colleen Huber's awesome list of safe and tasty treats.