Is it safe to cook acidy types of food (want to make pork & rhubarb casserole) in teflon coated pan. Want to use my slow cooker rather than in the oven as it takes ages but read somewhere not to use teflon coated pans due to possible leaching?
It's perfectly safe! There's no concern about the coating dissolving in acid or alkaline foods.
As far as I am aware, the Daily Mail scares about Teflon and similar non stick coatings revolve around:
- The coating may flake off if you stir the pan roughly with a metal implement, so you'll actually eat it.
- One of the chemicals used in the bonding, and traces of which remain under the coating, is carcinogenic and may be released if the pan boils dry and overheats.
On the first scare, since Teflon is extremely stable, it'll not do any harm even if you do swallow it. And surely no-one would buy an expensive Teflon pan and then be so careless as to scratch the surface off with a metal spoon or spatula!
On the second, if a pan overheats and starts to smoke, don't breathe the fumes!
Thank you very much Melourne 12. I scoured the internet for info but could not find anything about leaching and also wrote to the manufacturers of my slow cooker.
Quote from: Melbourne12 on January 12, 2013, 09:14:56
nd surely no-one would buy an expensive Teflon pan and then be so careless as to scratch the surface off with a metal spoon or spatula!
Sadly I am one of the people who come into that category
May