California Moves to Ban PFAS "Forever Chemicals" in Cookware

preCharge News POLITICS — California lawmakers voted to ban a group of chemicals known as PFAS, which are often called “forever chemicals,” in cookware. The move has pulled in celebrity chefs on one side and environmentalists, including actor Mark Ruffalo, on the other.

The proposal, Senate Bill 682, would prohibit PFAS in cookware, cleaning products, dental floss, ski wax, food packaging and certain children’s products. Lawmakers approved the bill in a 41-19 vote, late on Friday, with 20 assembly members not voting. The bill quickly passed amendments in the Senate and is now headed to Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature.

Understanding PFAS and Their Risks

It’s the latest move to limit PFAS, which are a class of thousands of chemicals that have been around for more than 70 years and are widely used in a variety of consumer, commercial and industrial products due to their ability to withstand heat and repel water and stains. They are called “forever chemicals” because they are extremely persistent in the environment and can accumulate in humans and animals.

Exposure to PFAS is linked to many negative health effects, including but not limited to Kidney cancer, Testicular cancer, liver and kidney damage, and harm to the nervous and reproductive systems.

Timeline and Legislative Intent

Newsom has until Oct. 12 to sign the bill into law. If he does, there is time period for manufacturers and retailers to comply with the legislation. Cookware must be compliant by 2030, 2031 for certain cleaning products, and 2028 for all other products covered in the bill.

The legislation specifically points to health risks as the reason for phasing out PFAS from cookware and other products. “Exposure to PFAS poses a significant threat to the environment and public health,” the bill states.

Nearly everyone in the United States has been exposed to PFAS and has it in their blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. California and more than a dozen other states have in recent years taken a more cautionary stance by limiting PFAS in other products, including textiles, certain children’s products, firefighting foam, and cosmetics.

The Nonstick Pan Debate

California has already banned PFAS in carpets, textiles and firefighting foam. Now, the latest debate centers on nonstick pans. Many are treated with a chemical compound called PTFE, a type of PFAS better known as Teflon, which coats millions of pans.

Chefs Push Back

The Cookware Sustainability Alliance has rallied high-profile culinary stars to oppose the bill. Chefs including Rachael Ray, Thomas Keller of the famed The French Laundry, Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster, and David Chang of Momofuku all submitted letters arguing nonstick pans are safe when manufactured and used correctly.

“I respect and share the desire to protect Californians and our planet, but I urge you to look closely at the science before moving forward with legislation that could unintentionally do more harm than good,” Ray wrote. “PTFEs, when manufactured and used responsibly, are proven to be safe and effective.”

Some chefs also argue that banning nonstick pans could make cooking more difficult and costly for families.

“We base everything on chemistry, on science,” said Steve Burns, executive director of the Cookware Sustainability Alliance. “The Teflon coating around a nonstick pan is a fluoropolymer. Technically it falls under the PFAS family, but fluoropolymers have been shown for decades to be inert and non-harmful.”

The cookware industry says the bill unfairly targets a material that regulators, like the Food and Drug Administration, have repeatedly approved and deemed safe. “Since the 1960s, the FDA has authorized PTFE and other fluoropolymers for use in food-contact applications,” Burns said.

Environmental Groups Respond

Environmental groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Working Group have pushed back, saying everyday use of Teflon-coated cookware can release PFAS particles or fumes, especially when pans are scratched or overheated.

“PTFE is basically a plasticized version of PFAS,” said Anna Reade, the NRDC’s director of PFAS advocacy.

Actor Mark Ruffalo, who starred in the 2019 film Dark Waters about PFAS contamination and is an outspoken critic of “forever chemicals,” weighed in on social platform X with an open letter to Ray.

Moving Toward PFAS-Free Alternatives

Ben Allen, the state senator who proposed the legislation, said:
“PFAS pose a level of serious risks that require us to take a measured approach to reduce their proliferation and unnecessary use throughout the marketplace.”

Allen emphasizes that the legislation aims to phase out PFAS in cookware and other items where substitutes exist. Stainless steel and cast-iron pans are possible replacements because they do not include Teflon coatings.