Articles of Distraction

[Angrboda]

If you’re looking for a new pot or frying pan these days, prepare to get bombarded by terms like “nontoxic,” “PFAS-free” and “PTFE-free.”

But these labels don’t necessarily mean what you might think. In 2023, the popular cookware brand HexClad was sued by a group of consumers for this very reason. They claimed several of the company’s pans were labeled nontoxic but contained a chemical called PTFE, commonly marketed as Teflon, which can release toxic fumes when overheated.

Hexclad denied wrongdoing but agreed to pay a $2.5 million settlement.

How Nontoxic Is ‘Nontoxic’ Cookware?