Importance of fluoropolymers in cookware applications:
Fluoropolymers are the material of choice for food contact products and they impart unparalleled performance to these articles for end users. Non-stick properties of fluoropolymers in cookware applications have many advantages such as less energy consumption during manufacturing as well as during use, less requirement of water and detergent for cleaning of cookware coated with fluoropolymers, less usage of fat during cooking, no or reduced consumption of carcinogens or harmful substances generated by blackening of food as fluoropolymer coated articles prevent sticking.*
Concerns on use of fluoropolymers in cookware applications
Based on our interaction with various stakeholders, we believe that main concern of regulators is the presence of PFAS in fluoropolymers (mainly PTFE) used as non-stick coating in cookware applications. Traces of PFAS may be present in fluoropolymer coating due to their use as a polymerization aid in the manufacturing of fluoropolymer. Although, according to FEC, any residual non-polymeric PFAS are eliminated in the curing step at high temperature under controlled manufacturing processes, and there will not be any significant exposure of PFAS to consumers.